


A Belated But Charming Start to Fluffcember

by litladyloveshp



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Holidays, but also magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21701884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litladyloveshp/pseuds/litladyloveshp
Summary: Based on @fluffcember2019 prompts by @stargirl720A primarily Hacy themed fluff fest, but also planning to incorporate sisterly bonding in the chapters as well. Alternating between timelines, but will try to make note of when it falls at the beginning of the chapter.Also forgive any typos, trying to get caught up and not editing as much as I want to
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn
Comments: 53
Kudos: 65





	1. Hold Me

“Maggie what did you?” Mel asked her sister as she stared at the blank spots in front of her.

“I thought I was helping them to remember their best Christmases.” Maggie explained, almost hoping Macy and Harry had managed to trick them into thinking they disappeared from the attic.

“Why would you do something like that?” Mel shouted at her younger sister, mind racing with all the ways this spell could have gone wrong. 

“I don’t know. I thought they could use some Christmas spirit.” Maggie justified, “They both been so cranky of late.”

“Gee, I wonder why?” Mel snapped back at her sister.

“Harry?!” Mel and Maggie began to shout. “Macy?! Harry?! Where are you?”

***

Macy and Harry stood on the front porch of the Vera Vaughn residence, both clutching their heads in confusion.

“Harry, why did you orb us downstairs?” Macy asked, pain in her voice as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.

“I assure you I did no such thing.” Harry proclaimed, wincing as though the effort of being indignant were costing him brain power.

“Doesn’t matter.” Macy began, frustratedly, “Let’s just go back inside.”

Macy stepped forward to reach for the door handle, when the door opened in front of her.

She was stunned beyond belief. The person who stood in front of her simply could not be there.

“Marisol?” Harry asked

***  
“Ok, I think I figured this out” Mel said, standing over the book of shadows “You said memento primum when you meant memento optimis.”

“So rather than remembering their best Christmases, they are remembering their first. Still doesn’t explain where they are.”

***

Macy and Harry stared stunned at Marisol, neither quite sure how to proceed. 

“Did the Elders send you to help me?” Marisol asked, almost sounding amused.

“I...uh…” Macy began, 

“Um, yes.” Harry said, stepping in front of Macy, as if trying to keep Mariol from getting a good look at her. “They knew you needed help so they sent us.”

Marisol sighed, smiling. 

“Come on in.” She stepped inside, inviting them into a slightly different version of the house they just left. 

“I told them I could use divine intervention to help through Christmas shopping with an infant, but this is not what I had in mind.”

“With an infant?” Macy managed to ask.

As though answering her question, there was the sound of a baby crying coming from upstairs.

“Yes, follow me.” Marisol said, beginning to climb up the stairs.

“Okay.” Macy agreed, leaning in close to Harry. “I think we must have been sent to the past.”

“Seems like, but is this going to be young Mel or young Maggie?” Harry asked her, proceeding to head up the stairs.

“I’m sorry, you never told me your names.” Marisol said, continuing through the hall. 

“Ah, yes. I am Harry and this is…”

Another, even louder cry came from upstairs.

“Coming Macy!” Marisol shouted, rounding the corner and running up the attic stairs.

Adult Macy froze. 

It were as though she had been kicked in the gut. How could this be possible? Of all the times and places they could have ended up...

“That’s me up there?” Macy asked Harry, though not really for an answer. “Baby me.”

Macy felt as though she might faint. She grasped at the handrail for support.

“Oh dear. Seems as though Maggie’s spell transported us back to your first Christmas.” Harry concluded.

“Can I even see my past self?” Macy asked “I mean, without a cataclysmic paradox occuring.”

“Of course, witches visit the past all the time.” Harry started to explain, another cry escaping from baby Macy. “I would however avoid touching the baby or your mother as a precaution. Don’t want to trigger any premonitions.”

“You mean like alerting my mom that she is going to die in roughly 27 years via murder?”

Harry opened his mouth as if to respond when Marisol’s voice broke through. 

“Did you guys get lost down there?” Marisol shouted from the attic.

Harry and Macy rushed up the stairs. Marisol stood in front of a bassinet, cooing at the baby within.

“Terribly sorry.” Harry began. “I got caught up noticing the...uh...architecture of the house.”

Marisol nodded, standing up straight and turning to face them.

“Are you sure you are alright to watch her for a few hours?” Marisol asked. “My husband won’t be back from his mother’s until tomorrow and I promised I would watch his baby cousin while they were out of town.”

“Cousin.” Macy asked, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. 

“Not to worry.” Harry responded, his eyes darting over to the Book of Shadows. “Your, uh, Macy is in good hands.”

Marisol smiled at the both of them.

“Well, I must be off. Good luck to you Harry and uh, I’m sorry, your name is?”

“Uh...Margaery.” Macy replied. 

“Margaery. Macy is a pretty easy going baby, she should sleep the whole time. But if not, she likes to be rocked and held and talked to.”

Before either of them could reply, Marisol was down the stairs and out of the room. 

Smiles instantly dropping from their faces, Harry and Macy both scrambled to the Book of Shadow. 

***

“Why don’t we use a reversal spell?” Mel suggested, flipping haphazardly through the book. 

“Harry said they don’t always work the way they are supposed to.” Maggie began to explain. “We could either undo the spell or cause the opposite effect and send them to their last Christmases.”

“Which with Harry being an immortal being could never happen and could cause unknown and disastrous consequences…” Mel ranted, internally berating herself for how much she sounded like Harry right now. 

“Let’s keep looking.” Maggie suggested.

***

“Just as I suspected,” Harry began. “A bit of mistranslated latin caused us to be transported to what I assume is your first Christmas.”

Harry pointed to the passage referring to memory spells. 

“And the only way back is for the spellcaster to undo the spell.” Macy continued. “But you just gave us that lecture about the unintended consequences of performing those kinds of spells.”

“I beg your pardon, I do not give lectures.” Harry replied indignantly, before pausing. “Well I suppose it is technically my job to give lectures. Both to the three of you and my students. Hopefully this is one of the ones your sisters ignored.”

Before Macy could reply, a cry emanated from the bassinet. 

It was hard to judge who seemed more panicked in that moment, Harry or one of the two Macys.

“I know I had a son in my previous life, but I would be remiss if I pretended I knew what I was doing at this particular moment.”

Macy swallowed thickly. 

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, barely able to be heard over the crying baby.

“Of course, I’m fine.” Macy said, her voice becoming higher pitched the more upset she became “I am just trapped in the past with a whitelighter and a screaming baby that it’s own mother cant even acknowledge is hers.”

Harry felt helpless by the panicked saddened in Macy’s voice. 

“Oh Macy, is there anything I can do?” Harry asked, not sure of what help he could be.

“Hold me.” Macy replied.

“What?” Harry replied, a look of shock widening his eyes. He couldn’t help the thoughts that next travelled through his mind. Thoughts of how strongly he felt for her and how no matter how much he wanted to, he could not put Macy or her sisters in danger by pursuing them. 

But the thought of holding her made him blush.

Macy immediately looked panicked.

“Baby me. Hold baby me.” Macy rushed, pointing over at the infant version of herself in the crib. 

“Right, of course.” Harry said, rushing over to grab the baby from the bassinet. 

Harry scolded himself as he scooped the tiny bundle into his arms and began to bounce. 

“There, there now.” Harry began, tucking in the baby’s blankets around. “There is no reason for a lovely baby such as yourself to be crying, is there?” 

Harry began to walk around the room with the baby, humming a tune and closing his eyes, almost as though he had forgotten where he was or who he was holding.

Meanwhile, Macy was entranced. Watching Harry, a man who was so certain seconds before that he knew nothing about babies, effortlessly embracing and calming this child made Macy’s heart race.

Macy couldn’t deny she had been seeing him differently since her time as the source. He had requested they never address his thoughts, but there would be moments, not so different from this, when she couldn’t stop thinking about Harry. What kind of a man he was, and how in just a few moments of reading his thoughts, she felt more loved than she could ever imagine. It was almost enough to make her forget being stuck in the past with a crying reminder that this would be the only time she would spend with her mom. 

Almost enough.

“There we go.”Harry said, placing a now sleeping baby Macy in the bassinet. 

Adult Macy smiled. 

“Seems the old instincts kicked in.” she told him.

“I suppose so.” He replied, smiling down at the baby in the crib.

“Now, how do we get home?” Macy asked, herself just as much as him.

“If only we could send a message to your sisters in the future. But it is not as though we can write them a letter.” Harry began.

“But what if we could?” Macy asked, an idea blossoming in her mind.

***

“I can’t believe I trapped our sister and our whitelighter in the past with no clue how to get them back?” Maggie started, throwing her head down on the book.

“Hey, we will figure this out.” Mel assured her, wrapping an arm around her. “We will find them somehow.”

“But what if they are already dead?” Maggie asked, raising up from the book and wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Not possible, I would know.” Mel assured her. “And so would you.”

“How?” Maggie asked, not bothering to wipe the next set of tears, letting them fall onto the book. 

“Remember when Mom died. That feeling of dread in your heart, knowing something was wrong.” Mel clutched at her chest as she said this. “It’s not there right now. If something happened to them, we would know.”

Maggie nodded.

Mel smiled, tears falling from her own eyes.

“So we are going to stop crying and we are gonna find a way to rescue them.” Mel wiped away her tears, splashing a few onto the book. 

Suddenly, words appeared on the page about memory spells.

***

“That’s quite brilliant” Harry complimented as Macy wrote in the Book of Shadows.

“You sound surprised.” Macy said with a snarky amused tone.

“I’m not sure one could ever become accustomed to your brilliance.” Harry replied, staring at her as though she were the only person in the world.

Macy smiled, though her smile quickly faded.

“Have I overstepped?” Harry asked in a hurry.

“No.” Macy whispered, shaking her head. 

She took a moment to carry the book over to the window seat.

“It’s not you, it’s this memory. One of the only two Christmases I will ever get to spend with my mother.”

Harry stared at her mournfully as he sat down to join her.

“I’m so sorry Macy.” 

“I don’t even remember what she got me.” Macy explained. “I know that is how being a baby works, but did my dad keep these things, or was removing all evidence of my mom necessary?”

“Not necessary, but perhaps he thought it would be easier.” Harry began

“Maybe he was right.” Macy agreed. “Maybe the reminders of what I lost would just make everything hurt more.”

Harry took a deep breath as he reached for Macy’s hand. 

“More than anything, I wish this were a kind of pain I could heal.” 

Macy rested her hand in his, trying to allow the warmth from his hand and the love in his eyes comfort her. 

“Me too.” she said, allowing herself to shed tears onto the words she had just written, causing them to disappear.

***  
Maggie, use the undo spell. It is the only way to bring us back - Macy

“Should we trust it?” Maggie asked Mel, staring at the words that had just appeared on the page.

“I think we have to”

Maggie nodded as she grabbed her sister’s hand and took a deep breath

“Converterent Alica” Maggie shouted.

A gust of wind filled the room as suddenly Macy and Harry stood before them holding hands.

Mel and Maggie ran over to hug Macy and Harry, tears flowing from all around


	2. First Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place during the winter of season 1.

Macy wrapped a scarf around herself. Though she had lived in many places through the years, she never got used to the cold no matter where she was.

She walked over to Harry’s building, feeling as though she were the only person left on campus. With finals on the horizon, most of the students were confined to their rooms to study. Most of the professors with their exams prepared, sitting comfily at home without any worries at all. Harry might be the only one still worried.

Macy opened the door to Harry’s office. Harry was bent over a stack of papers, eyes scanning each one as though his life depended on what secrets it held.

Macy smiled. Harry’s devotion to his job, both as their whitelighter and as a women’s studies professor, was a trait she loved about him. A determination for answers that Macy could relate to only too well.

In knowing that, she knew he needed a break.

“Harry?” Macy asked, still standing in the doorway.

Harry jerked his head away from the papers on his desk. He felt like he hadn’t moved his neck in this direction for hours.

“Terribly sorry. I didn’t hear the door.” he explained, walking around to the other side of his desk to grab a different stack of papers. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, you asked me earlier if I could give you a ride home from campus.” Macy explained.

“Ah, of course.” Harry replied, looking outside for the first time all day. “Looks as though it is pretty late. Do head on out without me. I can always orb home.”

Macy sighed. She knew he was going to say that. 

“Harry, no. You need a break. How long have you been here today preparing for this exam?” Macy asked.

“It is necessary to make sure this exam is as fair as possible. With the statistics going against standardized testing and this being my first year as the department chair, I have to make sure the exams are a thorough test of knowledge that is challenging in the correct ways.” Harry said, venting the words that had been playing through his mind for hours.

“You can’t make a perfect test, no matter how hard you want to.” Macy explained, though she knew in his position she would be worrying about the same things.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try.” Harry replied.

Macy knew she had been defeated. He could be just as stubborn as she was.

“If you don’t leave soon, you might be stuck here. Supposed to start snowing any minute now according to the news.” Macy informed him

Harry looked away from the paper he was eyeing. 

“Did you say it is about to snow? Are you certain?” he asked, looking at her as though the answer were of the utmost importance.

“Yes.” Macy told him. “I felt like my scarf was more necessity than accessory.”

Harry smiled as he placed the paper on his desk.

“We have to go outside.” he told her, grabbing his coat from the coat rack nearby. 

“Why?” Macy asked, though she wasn’t sure why. She wanted Harry out of the office, but something about the instant change in his mood was unsettling.

“I want to show you something.” Harry started, extending his hand out to her. “Follow me.”

Macy took his hand and tried to ignore the shiver it sent down her spine at his touch.

Harry was practically skipping through the hallway. Macy found herself lamenting the high heels she had decided to wear to work today.

“Harry if we are gonna be vanquishing a demon, can I at least change into my apocalypse sneakers?” Macy asked as they reached the door.

“No vanquishing or zombie fighting shoes necessary.” Harry explained as he walked outside still holding her hand. 

They walked towards the quad. The campus still feeling as vacant as it had all day. The sky was dark and clear. The stars unobstructed by lights. It was a perfect, bitterly cold evening. 

“Harry…” Macy began “What is…?”

Macy was stopped by what sounded like twinkling bells. Hundreds, maybe thousands of these bells playing the most beautiful melody. 

She felt her heart soar. The music gave off this feeling of hope and renewal. The world seemed to warm by a few degrees in a matter a seconds. Even though she had no clue where it was coming from, Macy was not afraid.

Then she saw them. 

Several tiny creatures with human like features and wings surrounding the trees and the flowers nearby. Blue and white in color, they continued their music as they scattered what Macy’s brain could only equate to pixie dust.

“Snow fairies.” Harry began. “Guardians of natural wonders. They appear with the first snow of the season to place protections on trees and flowers.”

“So what us scientists think of as photosynthesis resting is actually magic?” Macy asked, still mesmerized by the fairies at work.

“Science plays its part, of course, but there is magic there.”

Macy felt a grin. Science and magic unite once again, the story of her life. 

“It’s amazing.” she began. “I’m a witch with magical powers and magical sisters who live a fairly magical life and things like this still...amaze me.”

Harry just stared at her for a moment. Macy turned to look at him.

“Do you ever get used to it?” she asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“I’m not sure I am the right person to ask.” Harry answered her honestly, looking around at the fairies. “For me, there are magical rules and happenings that I expect at this stage in the game.”

He turned to look at Macy. The look of pure elation in her eyes made his heart skip.

“But some things remain as enchanting as they ever were.”

Harry and Macy looked over at each other for a moment and suddenly they were both overcome with the desire to laugh. 

Before either of them could say anything else, one of the fairies approached Macy, a shy smile on their face.

“They want to give you something.” Harry said

“How do you know?”

“I’ve picked up a few languages in my day. Fairy, nymph, though my knowledge of the language of mermaids is not as progressed as wish it were.”

The fairy pointed to Macy’s hand and she extended it out. The fairy then placed something quite small in the palm of her hand before flying away.

Macy stared for a moment before realizing what it was.

“The fairy gave me a snowflake?” Macy questioned, though the answer was obvious.

Harry grinned. “Of course. Snow fairies are well known for the bestowing of gifts upon beacons of good magic.”

Macy looked closer. The snowflake appeared as though it were carved to perfection. Each angle measured exactly the same. A snowflake that would please the most perfectionist of people. 

“Incredible.” Macy said, feeling as though she could stare at this snowflake forever.

Harry cleared his throat. 

“We should probably head off. The snow is really coming down.” Harry said.

“But the snowflake…?”

“Will not melt. It is enchanted.” Harry reassured her. 

Macy chuckled.

“Of course it is.” she said, closing her palm around it. “Thank you for showing me this. It is truly magical.”

“Thank you for pulling me away from myself. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this.” Harry said, not sure if he was referring to the fairies or Macy’s reaction to them.

“Me either.” Macy agreed.


	3. Blizzard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place winter of season 2

Maggie Vera awoke with a start. Ever since her vision of Jordan’s demise, Maggie couldn’t stop thinking about it. Worrying that somehow just because she knew him, it was her fault that something terrible was happening to him. 

Before she could even reach over to her phone, there was a knock at her bedroom door. 

“Maggie, we are all heading over to Safe Space, are you ready?” Macy’s concerned voice asked from behind the door. 

“Not really.” Maggie responded, taking a moment to glance down at her pajamas.

No way she could leave the house like this.

“Well you better get moving.” Mel replied. “It looks like it is really coming down out there.”

Maggie sighed as her head went back down to her pillow.

Meanwhile, Macy, Mel, and Harry pulled on their gloves, scarves, and coats, trying to prepare for the trek to Maggie’s place of employment. 

“So today, Mel and I will go on the witch distress calls. Harry, you need to focus on the book of elders.” Macy instructed, fastening the buttons on her coat

Harry nodded.

“Of course. Though at this point, I am not sure my brain can comprehend much more than it already has learned.”  
Macy sighed. 

“You have to try, ok?” Mel asked. “We’ve been without our powers for months now. I am tired of being fanny pack girl.”

Harry shook his head.

“You’re right, of course. I will get to it straight away.” he agreed, looping his scarf around his neck once more. 

“Maggie, where are you? We need to head out.” Mel shouted up the stairs to her sister

“Coming.” Maggie said, quickly running down the stairs without makeup. 

Macy stared at her sister questioningly.

“What?” Maggie questioned. “I figured I would finish getting ready in the car. No one is gonna be at Safe Space today anyway.” 

“Fine by me. Let’s go.” Mel said, practically pushing Harry out of the way to get to the door. 

She swung the door open and blistering winds practically knocked the four of them off their feet. 

If that wasn’t enough to force their hands, the snow outside the door began cascading in, flooding the foyer of their home. 

Harry and Mel pushed together to get the door shut.

“I guess none of us are going anywhere.” Maggie said. 

“But what about the witches in danger?” Macy asked. “If no one is watching at the command center.”

“We can’t risk going out. The weather is clearly disastrous, and with my orbing powers still a bit wonky, I don’t trust myself to get us there safely.” Harry replied to them honestly. 

“Then I guess we are stuck here.” Mel concluded. “What should we do?”

Maggie suddenly stood up a bit straighter.

“I’ll be right back.” she practically sang as she ran off to a nearby closet. 

Macy leaned towards Mel.   
“What is she doing?” Macy muttered.

“I don’t know.” Mel replied. “What could she be…” 

Maggie soon reappeared with a small lidded cauldron in tow. 

“Oh, no. Maggie. You did not dig up Caldera Vera!” Mel said, the look of annoyance plastered on her face. 

“Caldera Vera?” Macy asked, staring at the cauldron in her sister’s hand. 

Maggie grasped the handle of the cauldron smiling.

“Whenever we had sick days from school or long stretches of time where we had to be in the house, Mom would pull out this cauldron that we all filled with different questions or challenges.” Maggie explained to a clearly confused Macy and Harry. 

“It was a great distraction when we were eight.” Mel added, begrudgingly. 

“And it could be today. Each of us add a couple of general questions or challenges and we could draw them.” Maggie said, retrieving some pads of paper and pencils from within the cauldron.

“I’m not sure this is such a good idea.” Harry added, though he grabbed the pad and pencil extended out to him. “Maybe I should just orb on over to Safe Space and see if anyone needs help.”

“If it is not safe for us to travel with you, it is probably not safe for you to travel alone.” Macy pointed out. 

“That’s right, Har. You’re grounded.” Maggie said, adding a suggestion.

“Another time when Caldera Vera would make an appearance.” Mel explained.

“Very well.” Harry acquiesced. “Where will we be doing the drawing?”

“Living room.” Mel pointed, as Maggie walked over to set the cauldron on the table.

“It is so small but so heavy.” Maggie said. “I always wondered why it was a cauldron. Is this one of Mom’s old ones?”

“Seriously, how did we never figure out Mom was a witch?” Mel asked, throwing a couple of written suggestions into the cauldron.

Macy merely shook her head, adding a slip of paper to the mix.

“Now we mix them all up and we will each pull at least one. If it is a task, you have to do it. If it is a question, you have to answer it.”

Maggie began mixing up the contents, forcing some of their suggestions to the bottom, whilst some older ones came to the top. 

“But don’t ask questions you wouldn’t want to answer.” Mel added. “I think Mom learned that lesson when she added …. And pulled it herself.”

Macy and Harry chuckled. 

“Very well. Who goes first?” Harry asked.

“I do, I do.” Maggie said, quickly snatching a slip from the assortment in the cauldron. “The youngest goes first or the one who suggested the game in the first place. Either way, it’s me.”

Maggie carefully smoothed out the slip of paper.

“Aww, this one is a Mom one.” Maggie said, quickly clutching the paper to her. “Clean out the refrigerator.”

Maggie sighed. 

“Thanks Mom.” Maggie replied, crumbling the paper and moving to throw it back in the cauldron.

“Nuh uh.” Mel said, grabbing the crumpled slip from Maggie. “Rules are rules. And Mom knew the best way to get us to do chores was to throw it into a game.”

Maggie whined. 

“Can’t I do it later?” Maggie asked her sister, seemingly as though for permission. “I just want to see everyone do at least one.

It was Mel’s turn to sigh.

“Fine, but you are cleaning out the fridge. Spick and span as Mom would say.”

Maggie pouted, but nodded. 

“Your turn, Harry.”  
“Alright.” Harry said, taking a deep breath before drawing his slip.

“Where are the jelly beans hidden?” Harry read, more confused than he imagined he could be. 

Maggie snatched the paper away from Harry. 

“I wrote that one when I was 6. I was so certain Mom hid my Halloween candy.”

“But in actuality, it was me.” Mel confessed.

Maggie gasped. 

“Mel, how could you?”

“You were naming jelly beans. I put them and myself out of our misery.”

“Poor Consuelo.” Maggie mourned. 

Harry chuckled. 

“Well, seems as though I got lucky.” Harry replied. 

“This isn’t your only round, Har bear. You might not be so lucky next time.”

The smile quickly faded from Harry’s face. 

“Your turn, Macy.” Maggie said, gesturing to the cauldron in front of her. 

“I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” 

“Of course it is. What better way to spend a day trapped together?” Maggie rationalized.

Macy relented.

“Okay. I guess I will choose this one.”

Macy grabbed a piece of paper closer to the bottom of the cauldron.

“What do you admire most about everyone in the room?” Macy read. “Figures I would get the emotional one.”

“You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.” Harry reassured her. 

“Actually, I think you do.” Mel responded, staring at the bottom of the cauldron.

“What is that?” Maggie asked, moving her gaze to the cauldron as well.

“There’s an inscription on the bottom.” Macy explained to Harry who wasn’t close enough to see. “Roughly translated it means ‘answer honestly’”

“That explains why Mom admitted to taking away my barbies because she thought the eyes were creepy rather than the unrealistic body expectations explanation she originally gave.” Mel realized. 

“Then I guess I will have to answer.” Macy took a deep breath. She cared very deeply for all the people in this room, but growing up with her dad, she never quite got used to showing those emotions to the people around them.

“Maggie, I greatly admire your compassion.”

Maggie’s eyes shone with tears.

“I mean it. I see the way you approach the world, letting your heart guide you to the right decision. Empath power or not, it is really the heart of who you are.

“Mel, I wish I were as strong as you.”

Mel looked away from her sister, almost looking embarrassed. 

“No I mean it. I still have my demonic powers and Maggie has the whole thing with visions. I don’t think I would be ok if I didn’t have something to fall back on.”

“I’m not ok.” Mel admitted. “It is why I try so hard to make potions and help Harry translate the book. I feel like I have to work harder to earn my place in this magical saving faction.”

“But you do it. Without hesitation.” Macy explained. “You find a way. You are the rock of this family.”

“Here, here.” Harry said, placing a hand on Mel’s shoulder.

“And Harry, I admire your selflessness.”

It was Harry’s turn to take a deep breath.

“You put yourself on the line more than anyone I’ve ever met in my entire life.” Macy said. “And not just dangerous situations. No matter how small or insignificant the problems may be, you’re there for me.”

Harry raised his head, as though he were trying to resist saying something. 

A weighted moment passed before Macy continued.

“For all of us.” Macy gestured to her sisters.

“Yeah, Har. You totally rock.” Maggie said, grabbing onto Macy’s hand. 

“100 percent.” Mel agreed, taking Macy’s other hand. 

Harry moved to wipe as his eyes.

“Thank you ladies. That was quite moving.” Harry acknowledged.

Macy sighed in relief.

“Mel, you’re up.” Macy said, gesturing to the cauldron.

“I believe you forgot someone.” Harry pointed out. “What do you admire about yourself?”

“I don’t think that is what the paper meant.”

“It did say everyone in the room.” Maggie pointed out. “And you are in the room. So spill it sister.”

Macy chuckled. 

“I guess what I am most proud of when it comes to myself is my mind. I spent my entire life working to be the smartest, the most successful. And with some exceptions, I feel as though all that hard work paid off.”

“Of course it did.” Mel said, squeezing Macy’s hand that she was still holding. 

Everyone in the room laughed. 

“Can I admit I am afraid to go?” Mel said. “Knowing Mom enchanted the cauldron makes me less willing than I already was.”

Harry grinned.   
“There is no need to worry. The cauldron is not enchanted.” Harry explained. 

“What?” the three sisters replied in unison.

“Or if it is, it wouldn’t do much good.” Harry continued. “When it comes to truth spells and such, the object one interacts with must be the thing that is enchanted. The cauldron is merely the container that holds the objects.”

The sisters looked at him skeptically. 

“So Mom would have to had enchanted all the slips of paper in order to compel us to answer truthfully?” Mel questioned.

“Exactly.” Harry replied.

“How do you know we didn’t all just happen to grab slips Mom enchanted?” Maggie questioned. 

“Because I wrote Macy’s question.” Harry admitted.

A wave of acknowledgment filled the room. 

“I wanted us to be able to be honest with each other. So much of this job is fighting demons and challenging ourselves, we rarely take moments to just see who we are outside of life or death situations.”

“So you knew I didn’t have to say anything if I didn’t want to? Very Glinda style manipulation on your part, Har bear.” Macy said, playfully swatting at him. 

“No one ever said a whitelighter is free of flaws.” 

Everyone laughed once again. 

“Now with the stigma gone, I believe it is Melanie’s turn to answer honestly.” Harry said, gesturing to the cauldron.

Mel reached forward to grab a slip of paper, the blizzard outside long forgotten and the dangers of the world temporarily out of mind.


	4. Power Outage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place winter Season 2 at the command center

“You guys!” Mel shouted, her eyes fixated on the command screen in front of her. “Get over here now!”

Maggie, Macy, and Harry dropped what they were doing and immediately ran to Mel’s side.

“What on Earth?” Harry questioned.

“It can’t be.” Maggie replied.

“It’s not possible.” Macy responded.

The four of them stared at the map, the completely red map. All the witches in the world were currently in danger. 

“Ok, this can’t be a coincidence. Something must be up.” Mel said.

“Should we all split up?” Maggie said. “Each of us take a corner of the world?”

“That would leave you and Mel at a great disadvantage with your powers still gone.”

“Then we will split into two groups.” Macy said, taking charge. “Mel and I will go to Egypt.”

“Maggie and I will take…” Harry scanned the map. “Sedona, Arizona.”

Maggie looked over at Harry skeptically. 

“The town is a magical powerhouse. It is home to many witches and covens seeking knowledge and power from the sacred ground.” Harry continued.

Maggie shrugged. She knew it was important to check out multiple places, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t said about missing out on an Egyptian adventure.

Both groups set their courses, grabbed their portal summoning marbles, and set off.

Mel and Macy found themselves immediately overcome with the change in weather. Seattle was barely staying in the 20s for the past couple weeks, whereas their current long sleeved shirts in the 60 degree weather was causing discomfort.

A man ran over to them, looking immensely relieved and started hurriedly speaking to them. 

“Why did we pick Egypt?” Macy asked, feeling less confident by the second. “Neither of us speak Modern Standard Arabic.”

“No, but maybe this will help.” Mel replied, pulling a vile from her now infamous fanny pack.

Before Macy could ask questions, Mel took a quick swallow and then offered the vial to the man in front of them. He hesitated at first, but then he took a swallow as well before handing it over to Macy.

“Mel, what is this?” Macy asked, staring at the bottle, as though she hoped the contents would reveal.

“Just drink the rest. I will explain in a moment.”

If it were anyone else, Macy isn’t sure she would have taken a drink. But she trusted Mel and her expert potion skills. 

Once Macy drank the rest of the potion, the man hurriedly speaking to her started to make sense. 

“My wife and I were trying to rescue a sphinx when our powers failed us. Not just us though, everyone around us, including the scarab demon seemed powerless.”

“Whoa.” Macy replied. 

“Language barrier breaking potion.” Mel explained. “He is speaking Arabic, us English, but we can perfectly understand each other.”

“Impressive.” Macy replied. “So you lost your powers?” 

“Not just me.” the man replied. “Everyone. All the witches I know and all the demons I have encountered have had their powers stripped.”

“But you’re not in immediate danger?” Mel asked. “You and your family are safe.”

“Of course we are for now.” the man answered. “But without our powers, the magical world is in danger.”

Mel’s eyes widened.

“Macy, try conjuring fire.”

“I am. Nothing is happening.” Macy said, the panic in her voice rising. 

“Well my powers were already gone, so I can’t be of much help.”

“But your potion worked. Maybe only active powers were affected.” Macy tried to comfort her sister.

“My wife tried brewing a potion to heal the sphinx’s injuries.” the man interrupted. “There was no luck. We managed to patch the poor thing up, but it was a close call.”

“So maybe it didn’t affect potions brewed before the power outage.” Macy concluded.

“Excuse me, uh…” 

“Ammon.” the man replied.

“Ammon. Do you or your wife have any potions brewed before the outage?” Mel asked.

“I will look, but we don’t tend to keep potions on hand. Trying to conceal our magical identities and all.”

Mel nodded and then grabbed a vial from her bag.

“Use this on the sphyinx. It should help with the healing process.” 

Ammon took the vial. 

“Thank you.”

“If anything else happens,” Macy began, pulling a card from her pocket. “Send us a message. We will come back as soon as possible.”

Mel grabbed the marble.

“Thank you for your help.” she said to Ammon. “We have to get back to the command center and figure out how to solve this thing.”

Ammon began speaking again, but Macy and Mel could no longer understand him.

“Oh no, the potion has worn off.” Macy reacted.

Mel grabbed Ammon’s hand and smiled. 

He stopped talking for a moment. He smiled back at her and nodded.

Mel threw down the marble and she and Macy walked back into the command center where Harry and Maggie were already waiting.  
“It’s everywhere.” Harry concluded. “The magical power outage. Witches and demons alike are powerless. Everyone on the screen is red not because of immediate danger, but the vulnerability of not having their powers. Us included.”

Mel stepped forward.

“My fanny pack of potions still works. We were able to successfully commute despite a language barrier.”

“Splendid.” Harry said.

“Did you happen to brew a power restoration spell?” Maggie asked, looking at the bag.

“As a matter of fact, I have brewed several.” Mel explained. 

She walked over to the cabinet of ingredients and began pulling many vials off the shelves.

“When we first lost our active powers, I was working day and night to try to restore them. These were the ones that didn’t work. I brewed at least 30.”

“How are we supposed to test 30 power restoration potions on the entire magical world?” Maggie asked. 

“We have a test subject use a little bit of each potion, see if it has restored their power, and when it does, that subject will create a magical totem so we can restore magic to the world.” Macy proposed. 

“Right.” Harry said. “Which one should I start with?”

The sisters looked at him. 

“You?” the three replied at the same time. 

“I am the most logical choice.”

“As you are not one of the charmed ones, I must disagree.” Mel intervened.

“Exactly, you are the three most powerful witches in the world.” Harry began. “And Mel, while your new potion brewing skills are quite impressive, the testing of multiple potions on one individual is dangerous. And the world cannot lose you.” 

“And we can’t lose you Harry.” Maggie said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. 

“We must take the risk. It is no different than what you ladies do every single day. Though, admittedly on a much smaller scale.” Harry grabbed a vile from the basket and began examining its contents.

“Oh Harry.” Maggie ran over and wrapped her arms around him.

Harry smiled as he welcomed the embrace. Mel quickly joined in, wrapping her arms around Harry. 

Macy stood there, trying to put up her mask of clinical indifference.

“Fine.” Macy replied. “Start the testing.”

Macy turned away, took a shaky breath to compose herself, then grabbed a notepad and pen from the desk. 

“Vial 1, go.” Macy began scribbling notes on paper. 

Harry tried the first vial with no reaction. Same with the second and the third. The fourth one caused a round of hiccups that went on for at least 5 mins. The fifth one did nothing. 

“Vial 6.” Macy said, keeping her gaze focused on the notebook.

Harry swallowed without hesitation. Moments later, the choking began.

Harry collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.

“Harry! What can we do.” Maggie said, dropping beside him. 

Clutching his throat with one hand, he reached out desperately with the other.

Mel quickly grabbed a glass of water from the table. But when she knelt down beside Harry to give it to him, Harry shook his head and continued to reach out. 

Macy figured out what he wanted. 

She grabbed the basket of vials and threw them across the room.

Useless. They were completely useless and in trying to figure out which one of them worked, Harry was giving his life. 

Macy’s eyes filled with tears. Even if she hadn’t destroyed the vials, none of them had the power to heal Harry. He was going to die for nothing.  
Harry began crawling away from a stunned Maggie and Mel towards the spot where the vials had crash landed. Macy looked over and noticed there was one lying amongst them unbroken. 

Macy quickly ran over to the pile and grabbed the potion. 

“I won’t let you take it, Harry.” she told him, her voice thick with all the tears she worked so hard to hold back until now. “No.”

Harry exhaustedly reached over to touch Macy. His weakened state caused him to miss her shoulder and grasp Macy’s neck.

She felt as though every hair on her body stood on end. Suddenly she could hear Harry in her mind. 

“I have to try Macy.” he told her in her thoughts. 

“No.” she responded out loud. “This could kill you. And I can’t lose you.”

Harry spoke out loud this time, his voice incredibly hoarse.

“I need you to believe in me.”

The rational part of Macy’s brain was going haywire. There was absolutely no reason she should believe him at all. He nearly died from the last potion. This one could finish the job. Would likely do so.

But looking in those eyes, seeing how much he wanted, needed to do this, she couldn’t refuse. 

She handed him the vial, letting the tears fall freely. 

“Please be right.” she begged. Not sure if she was begging him or the universe.

Harry took the vial and swallowed. After placing the vial down, he took a deep breath, then fell down on the floor unconscious. 

“Harry!” The sisters shouted, each rushing to his side.

As they all knelt down next to him, each overcome with their own grief.

Macy grazed his cheek.

“Harry?” she asked, her voice wavering as her fingers trailed to his throat. A pulse beat furiously beneath his skin.

“He’s alive.” She told her sisters just as Harry gasped.

It seemed as though everyone let go of the breath none of them knew they were holding at once. Relief washed over them as Harry got to his feet and walked over to the command center map, vial of restoration potion in hand.

“Hoc sit totem” Harry chanted, causing the map to glow. He backed up a few steps and then flung the potion at the map. 

As the contents of the vial spread across the map, the red spots disappeared.

“Does that mean…?” Maggie began as Mel’s cell phone chimed. 

“Ammon said shakar. Which according to the translate app on my phone means thank you.” Mel informed day.

“Looks like we saved the day again.” Harry said, a smile reaching from eye to eye.

“Of course.” Macy said, letting the relief wash over her. "It's what we do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this one is not as fluffy as others. I promise, I will work on the fluff!


	5. Caroling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place winter of Season 2

“I swear you are trying to kill me.” Macy said in mild seriousness to her youngest sister. 

“Please, I just need more volunteers.” Maggie begged. “It’s for a good cause. Raising money for the homeless shelters of Seattle.”

“A good cause, but I am not sure how humiliating myself will raise money.” Macy said, trying to walk away from her sister at the coffee bar to head towards the command center entrance. 

“One of us will carry a flyer explaining what we are raising money for. We sing a song or two and then let them know they can donate at the website listed at the bottom.”

“Can’t you do it by yourself?” Macy asked, scanning the card that let them into the command center. 

“No. You need at least three people to carol. Otherwise, it is just some weird person singing at you.” Maggie said. 

“Because it becomes less weird when you add people to it.” Macy said, taking a seat at the desk and scanning the map for potential witches in danger. 

“Please, Macy. No one is gonna care if you sound terrible.” Maggie tried to reassure her. “Not that I think you do.”

“Trust me, I do. I don’t even sing in the shower.” Macy admitted.

“Even Harry agreed to come along.” Maggie said, pointing to Harry who was carrying a large stack of books.

“You did?” Macy asked, skeptically. 

Harry looked a bit embarrassed. 

“Under the condition that I could be the one distributing the pamphlets.” Harry said, placing the books on the edge of the desk. 

“You still have to sing, Har.” Maggie told him, grabbing the topmost book from the pile. “Please Macy. I am literally begging you.”

Macy looked at her sister’s sad face and knew there was no way she could refuse her.

“Okay.”

“Yes!” Maggie cheered. “A family that sings together stays together.”

“Tell that to Oasis.” Macy said. 

“Well we are gonna be the Jonas Brothers.” Maggie replied. “Back, hot, and better than ever.”

Maggie practically skipped away as Harry and Macy begrudgingly left the desk.

“Who is gonna watch the map?” Macy asked, looking back to see if any spots were red. 

“I am sure the world will be safe through a couple hours of caroling.” Maggie said, grabbing Mel’s arm so they could head out. 

“I would rather stay behind.” Mel started. 

“Nope. You’re going. We are all going.” Maggie said, not even bothering to turn to face her sister. “Time for some vocal warmups.”

Maggie cleared her throat.

“La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.” Maggie started in a lower octave. “Come on join in.”

Macy, Harry, and Mel sighed as they joined in, with no joy to their tone.

“La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.”

Maggie looked over at them disappointed. 

“I guess I did say you could sound terrible.” she said, leading the group towards the door. “Let’s help the homeless.”

As the four of them walked outside, they found themselves surrounded by the employees and friends of employees of Safe Space Seattle. 

“Alright, who’s ready to spread some Christmas cheer?” Swan asked. 

A few people like Maggie and Jordan cheered, but for the most part, the rest of the group seemed indifferent.

“I’m guessing a lot of people were emotionally conned into going.” Macy whispered to Harry and Mel, who both giggled.

“Let’s get started.” Swan motioned, not sounding even slightly discouraged by the lukewarm response she just received. 

The groups of people divided, four or five people to each group. They each started working on different houses on the same street.

The first few doors Macy knocked on remained unanswered. The fourth slammed the door in their faces when they realized what they were doing. 

“Really. You would think we were dragging them out of their houses to throw rocks at them rather than share in festive spirit.” Maggie said, sounding annoyed. 

“Perhaps we should head back.” Mel started. “I don’t want to leave the command center for too long.”

Maggie looked down the street, as if hoping some other was having better luck. It didn’t seem like it.

“Maybe we can raise money for the homeless in some other way.” Macy suggested, trying to comfort her sister.

“Of course.” Harry replied. “You always have brilliant ideas. I am sure you could find a way.”  
“Maybe not.” Maggie said, her voice becoming thick. “Maybe there just isn’t enough good in the world anymore.

“That took a quick dark turn.” Mel replied just as a screeching sound emanated from above their heads.

Macy and Harry ducked down to the ground, looking up to see dark shadowy spirits hovering around them. 

“Harry?” Mel yelled, jerking Maggie and herself down to the ground. “What are those things?”

“Wraiths.” Harry shouted, the screeching becoming louder. “They feed off the joy of the pure hearted and replace it with anguish.”

Maggie sat crying as she looked up. Mel hugged her. 

“They are attacking Maggie?!” Macy asked, the answer already coming through in her voice. 

“Not just Maggie.” Harry continued, gesturing to many of the other individuals on the street. “As magical beings we are the only ones who can see them, but they spread anguish to all pure hearted people.”

“What can we do?” Mel yelled, clutching her sister close. “Summon a patronus or something?”

“It is not quite as easy as Ms. Rowling made it seem.” Harry replied. “Wraiths can only be driven away a grand display of joy.”

“Grand display of joy?” Mel spat back, sounding angerer by the second. “Are we supposed to start a parade.”

“Not a parade.” Macy replied, getting to her feet. “But a performance.”

Macy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Let’s go for a sleigh ride!” Macy began, her voice breaking. “A wonderful sleigh ride!”

Harry looked at her, astonished for a moment before getting to his feet.

“Come hurry along with a song of a wintery world to glide.” Harry joined in singing, smiling over at Macy.

“Bum bum.” Mel began, “Bum bum,”

Mel squeezed on Maggie to get her to join in on singing the bum bums too.

“Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too.” Macy and Harry sang.

“Come on it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.” Jordan walked over and joined them.

“Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling, yoo hoo.” Swan joined in too, clutching Jordan’s arm.

“Come on it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.”

“Doo, doo. Doo, doo.” Mel and Maggie added as Mel looked upward.

“Guys, it is working. We gotta kick it up a notch”

Harry and Macy looked over at each other, trying to quickly brainstorm some ideas.

Harry was suddenly struck by inspiration, looping his left arm through Macy’s right and beginning to swing the both of them around.

“Giddy up, giddy up, let’s go.” Harry sang. “Let’s look at the snow.”

“We’re riding in a wonderland of snow.” Jordan and Swan joined in pairing off.

Mel and Maggie stood up and joined in the dancing. 

“Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, it’s grand.” The six of them sang, all of them swinging around. “Just holding your hand.”

Suddenly, the other members of the group started walking towards them and pairing off. 

“We’re gliding along, with a song of a wintery fairy land.” the large group chimed. 

Macy and Harry stopped for a moment to look around. Doors were opening to look on them as the wraiths above them began to cower. 

Macy took another deep breath and reach over to Jordan to begin swinging with him. 

“Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we.” Macy sang as she released Jordan and reached for Maggie.

“We’re snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be.” Maggie belted out.  
“Just like two birds…” the crowd added, now far greater in numbers than they were when they started. 

This street in Seattle was filled to the brim with people, singing, laughing and dancing around. People were intertwining their arms with people they never met before. Others grabbing the almost forgotten flyers from the ground and reaching for their phones to contribute to the website. 

Macy felt her spirits rising. She didn’t even realize until that moment how much of an effect the wraiths were having on her, until the weight was lifted.

“Let’s take that road before and sing a chorus or two.” the group chanted. 

“Come on, it’s lovely weather.”

“It’s lovely weather.” 

“It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.” The group concluded together. 

Cheers emanated and you could almost see the joy spreading. 

For a moment, the group just stood in silence looking at each other. But then Maggie stepped forward, grabbing Mel’s hand.

“There’s a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray. It’ll be the perfect ending of a perfect day.” Maggie belted out, reaching for Jordan’s hand.

“We’ll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop. At the fireplace while we watch the chestnuts pop.” Mel reached out for Macy as the rest of the group began joining hands. 

“Pop, pop, pop” they cheered.

“There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy. When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie.”

When Macy and Harry linked hands, Macy looked over at Harry and she didn’t need to look up to see if the wraith were gone. The smile on his face, the glow of his eyes, and her own feelings of warmth and excitement told her there was no way any wraith in a 50 mile radius could survive all the joy in the air.

“It’ll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives.” the group continued to sing.

“I met them, you know.” Harry leaned in to whisper to Macy, his grin greater than ever.

“You’re much older than I thought then.” Macy muttered back, smiling to him. 

“Truly inspiring, Macy.” he told her, looking out to the crowd. “Ingenious. A purer display of joy unheard of in this day and age.”

“Thanks Harry.”

“Thank you, Macy. I was at a loss.” Harry admitted. 

“Couldn’t have done it without you.” Macy told him.

Harry was about to reply when the song ended and a wave of clapping interrupted him.

“What should we sing next?” Maggie asked.

The group was abuzz with ideas.

“Caroling in the streets might be a new Vera Vera Vaughn family tradition!” Mel said, her unadulterated delight hard to miss. 

“Hope so.” Macy replied, as Harry nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment of fluffcember is not sponsored by Sleigh Ride, just my favorite Christmas song.


	6. Snowball Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline shouldnt be important but I was imagining Season 2 if that helps anyone

Harry quickly orbed the four of them up to the attic of the house.

“I thought you said the potion was all it would take to ward off the fire demons!” Maggie shouted, lunging at the remaining potion vials on the table.

“I told you the potion should work, if he is made the correct way.” Harry said as he grabbed some of the vials.

“Which it was!” Mel yelled, grabbing more vials. “Brewed it myself.”

“Maybe it was the delivery of the potion that was off?” Macy yelled, grabbing the last of the vials as the file demons appeared. At least five of them were crowding into the basement.

Harry grabbed hold of the sisters and orbed them down stairs.

Once they landed firmly on the ground, Harry collapsed. 

“Harry!” Maggie shouted.

“Just need a minute to rest.” he assured her. 

“What did you mean by the way it was delivered?” Mel asked her sister urgently.

“I mean we all just threw the potions at the same time but maybe they needed to be doled out one at a time or something.” Macy continued, frantically glancing as at least 20 fire demons started converging on them.

“Come on, Harry.” Mel shouted, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and dragging him outside to their back lawn. 

“Mel, didn’t you say the potion works best when chilled?” Maggie asked, pushing a shovel through the door handles. 

“Yes, but it was not like I had time to give the potion an ice bath before the attack.” Mel snapped as she lowered Harry to the ground.

But then Mel looked around. It had just snowed within the past couple hours. A few inches at least.

“Macy…” Mel began, but the dawning realization crossed all of their faces at once.

“The snow. We can use it to…” Macy continued.

“Make some vanquishing potion snowcones and give these fire demons some epic brain freeze.” Maggie finished. 

“I’ll started assembling snowballs.” Harry said, already forming the snow into shape.

“When we have enough, we spread out, attack them from all fronts.” Mel said.

“Pouring the potion over top the first round.” Harry informed, using his hat to give some snowballs to Mel.

Macy poured the contents of a gardening bag onto the floor of the shed and dropped down to help Harry gather more snow.

“How much snow do you think we will need?” Maggie asked, using some gardening equipment to make a makeshift shelter for her to duck behind.

“As much as we can.” Mel answered. “It started off as five. Last look was 20. Who knows how many there are now.”

“How are they multiplying?” Macy asked Harry as she poured potion over the bag of snowballs.

“Fire demons much like fire spread or in this case multiply. We have to stop them before they become too numerous to fight.” Harry explained.

“And we will.” Mel confidently stated.

Now that they were all armed with potion soaked snowballs, the four of them spread out.

“The throw doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be close.” Mel assured the group, though her gaze definitely went over to Harry.

“With the amount of snowballs we are planning to throw combined with the amount of vanquishing potion we have, should be enough.” Macy continued.

“Alright.” Harry said, walking over to the door to release the shovel. “Ready?”

The three sisters nodded.

Harry freed the shovel and backed away from the door.

“Here they come.”

Within seconds, the fire demons swarmed the yard. The sisters and Harry began throwing the snowballs vehemently.

When the first one made contact with a fire demon, it screamed in agony.

“It’s working!” Mel shouted. “Keep throwing!”

And so they did. None of them could see much outside of the snow flying from all directions towards the fire demons. The demons soon caught on to what was happening and began to retreat inside the house.

“Maggie, with me!” Mel shouted towards her sister, rushing around the building to attack the demons from inside the house. Maggie quickly followed her, Harry’s balled up coat in tow.

Harry and Mel continued pelting the demons with the snowballs, beginning to notice how quickly they were running through them.

“Should we orb out?” Harry asked her.

“No!” Macy replied. “Once Mel and Maggie are done with the demons inside, they will help us out here.”

“Not sure we have that much time to spare.” Harry shouted back, sounding almost out of breath from the cold and exertion.

“What can we do?” Macy asked, looking around the yard. There were far fewer demons than before, but still too many for one on one combat.

“Something stupid I suppose.” Harry shouted, giving Macy a quick glance before jumping forward, launching himself at the 3 or 4 fire demons closest to them.

“Harry!” Macy shouted, forgetting herself momentarily. All she could focus on was Harry and how he was tangled amongst demons and she couldn’t see him.

Macy suddenly felt her stomach drop. 

Harry had just leapt. Without snow balls or potion vials or anything. Just went flying.

It was brave. It was stupid. And now she was terrified she couldn’t do enough to save him.

This realization struck her, giving new momentum to fight. Suddenly she could almost not believe how furiously she was throwing. It seemed to her like she was hardly in control of how many demons were being vanquished at once. The air was filled with the smoke of vanquished demons. Macy could hardly make out her hand in front of her face, let alone be able to see if Harry were still out there. 

“Macy watch out!” a shout from above her said.

Mel and Maggie’s heads were hanging outside the window above her, staring behind Macy.

There stood a fire demon much larger than any other that they had vanquished in the last few minutes. Before Macy had a chance to react she heard her name being shouted again and her wrist being grabbed.

A moment later, Macy felt herself being orbed away.Harry had managed to squeeze the two of them between the shelter Maggie had created and the outside wall of the house. In order to do so, Macy had to rolled on top of him.

Both of them breathed deeply. The last few minutes of fighting had been exhausting. It did not quite explain why her skin felt like it was on fire.

“Harry.” she practically cried, placing her hands on the sides of his face as though making sure he were actually there. “You’re ok. But how…?”

“Managed to roll over to Mel’s abandoned snow pile. Between the four of us, the fire demons never stood a chance.” Harry pointed out, his eyes never leaving Macy’s.

“How could you do that?” Macy asked, tears freely falling.

Harry reached up to wipe her tears, caressing her cheek as he did so.

“It’s my job to protect you, Macy.” Harry whispered, not lowering her hand from her cheek. “If I had to throw myself into the underworld, I would do it to protect you.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Both of them flushed and still breathless. A million unsaid things hanging in the moment.

“To protect all of you.” He said, trying to make it seem as though this is how he intended to finish the sentence all along. Neither of them quite knew if they were true.

“Harry, I…” Macy began, not sure how she had intended to finish the sentence. 

But it was at that moment the last and greatest fire demon growled in agony.

Macy gave Harry one last look before rising to her feet.

Mel and Maggie stood in the doorway. Both looked out of breath and disheveled.

“We did it.” Maggie squealed, running down the few stairs and throwing some of the remaining snow in the air. 

Mel ran over as Macy did the same. The three sisters embraced, all three of them so happy to have defeated this particular threat.

“Congratulations.” Harry said, getting to his feet and brushing off the snow from himself.

“Don’t congratulate us, Harry.” Mel snapped at him.

“Yeah, it was a team effort.” Maggie reassured him, still clutching onto her sisters, though their hug was broken.

“Not what I meant.” Mel corrected. “What on Earth were you thinking? Launching yourself at a bunch of fire demons.”

Harry looked over at Macy for a millisecond, not sure how to respond to question Macy had just asked him.

Because while his answer to her was the truth, it wasn’t the whole truth and they all knew it


	7. Homemade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place winter of season 1

Harry knocked on the door of the Vera house. Since moving out a few weeks ago, he was trying his best to rebuild those personal boundaries. A certain bathtub incident that sent him flying across the house still replayed in his mind (and his lower back) on occasion. 

A few moments passed without response, so he decided to stick his head in the door. The sight of the house filled with smoke stopped his heart.

His mind made up for his stalled heart by going into overdrive.

Was it a demon? A hex? A new power for one of his charges?

Then he went to the more mundane thoughts.

Did he leave the stove on this morning after he was done fixing breakfast?

“Macy?” Harry shouted, surprising himself with the panic in his voice. He started towards the kitchen.

“Maggie, Melanie?” Harry continued to shout, realizing that the smoke was becoming thicker as he got closer. 

“In here” a raspy voice he instantly recognized as Macy’s replied. 

Harry took a deep breath and ran towards the kitchen, expecting to find a disheveled nightmare and he does of a sort.

Macy is on the ground in front of the stove, apparently knocked over by whatever she was brewing.

“Macy, are you alright?” he asked, reaching over to move the pot off the burner before helping Macy to her feet.

“Yes. I was experimenting with different ingredients and I guess I grabbed the wrong one.” Macy answered, smoothing down her pants.

“Practicing your vanquishing potions?” Harry wondered. 

Macy was always the most dedicated of his three charges. Shouldn’t surprise him to find her working on potions mid afternoon. 

“Not vanquishing potions. Calming draughts.”

“Well in that case you are using the entirely wrong ingredients.” Harry teased

Macy laughed.

“I notice that, actually.” she joked.

“Is there something on your mind that you need a calming draught for?” Harry asked her.

He knew she was prone to stressing herself out. Her determination to be the best was admirable but Harry could see it taking a toll on her. 

“Oh no, it’s not for me. It’s for my sisters.” she reassured him. 

“Are they alright?” Harry’s concern overwhelmed him instantly. 

“They are fine, as far as I know anyway.” Macy explained. “I am making them some aromatherapy lotions and I thought that I would combine a bit of calming draught with it.”

Harry looked at her confused. 

“Apparently it is Vera family tradition to homemake at least one of your presents for your family. And with Mel working a shift at the Haunt and Maggie at some Kappa thing, seemed like a good opportunity to get started.”

“Oh.” Harry replied. “For Christmas?”

Harry had completely forgotten it was coming up. He had been so focused on preparing for finals for his students that it didn’t cross his mind why the semester was ending.

“I would have thought you would bake something for them.” Harry continued, trying to disguise his date confusion with gift one. “Haven’t you been bragging about your chocolate souffle.”

Macy smiled. “Yes, but I am not sure how my sisters would take receiving an entire souffle as a holiday treat.”

Harry conceded her point.

“Though I might keep that in mind for your gift.” She told him as she went to discard the offending potion. 

“My gift?” Harry asked. 

“Of course.” Macy told him, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. “What? Is it against the rules to get your whitelighter a gift?”

She could see that being the case. The Elders really seemed to love their rules.

“No, it is not against the rules.” Harry said, taking a seat at the counter as Macy started brewing her calming draught again. 

“Is it frowned upon?” she teased, adding some lavender to the brew.

Harry smiled weakly in reply. 

“No.” he said shortly. “It is just that I’ve never received a Christmas present. At least not that I remember.”

Macy felt so incredibly saddened in that moment. She looked over at the man across from her and just couldn’t imagine not wanting to give him a christmas present. 

“How can that be true?” she asked, checking to make sure the draught was looking as it should. 

“I don’t remember any Christmas before I died and after…” Harry looked away for a moment. “It just never came up.”

How can it not come up? Macy wondered. 

“You have been a whitelighter for a long time. And you were at least with Fiona for years.”

“Yes, but we were never…”

He paused and stared at Macy for a moment.

“We were never as close as I am with you and your sisters. The relationship we have is a bit unorthodox.”

Macy nodded, though she didn’t like what she was hearing.

“I can understand wanting a clinical distance from your charges for perspective.”

Harry nodded solemnly. 

Macy turned away, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks as she prepared to finish her thoughts.

“But also, I can’t imagine not knowing you.” she told him. “You couldn’t be just some British guy that drops by with a lecture and the power to heal.”

Macy realized something as she was talking to him.

“You said before you felt isolated.”

Like me. She couldn’t help thinking to herself.

“I guess I never realized how isolating your life was until now.” Macy said, still avoiding looking at him as she grabbed the next ingredient.

Harry jumped out of his chair and grabbed her hand before she could drop the ingredient in the cauldron.

“I believe that is the ingredient that caused it to blow up last time.”

Macy looked in her hand. Sure enough, she had grabbed the wrong ingredient again, this time distracted by their conversation.

“Thank you.” She said, looking at him as she moved to put the wrong ingredient down.

Harry let go of her hand, looking a bit ashamed. 

They stood there for a moment, the tension of their conversation still spinning between them. Both overcome by their own feelings of isolation whilst also trying to understand the other’s.

Harry tried to speak. What he meant to say, he didn’t know but they were suddenly interrupted by a screaming Maggie who was running into the kitchen.

“Demon!” Maggie said, running behind the counter. “Demon, demon, demon, demon, demon!”

Seconds later, a large creature who looked more alien like than demon entered the kitchen. 

Whatever he was, he looked furious. Growling and reaching desperately towards them.

Macy acted without thinking. She levitated the bubbling brew of calming draught and threw the contents in the face of the demon.

As the contents splashed onto it, the creature looked down surprised by this turn of events. Seconds later, his expression changed to one of calm.

The creature shrugged passively and just shimmered away without a sound.

“What did you just throw at that thing?” Maggie asked, still out of breath from running. 

“Your Christmas present.” Macy replied

“What?” Maggie responded, staring at the spot the creature just vanished from.


	8. Slippery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place winter of season 2

“Don’t move!” Harry warned, hoping the sisters would take heed of his warning.

The Charmed Ones stood in place.

“What just happened?” Mel asked, still staring at the spot the tiny pixie like creature that had been facing off with had disappeared.

“We were attacked by a Sprite” Harry explained. 

“That did not look like a clear soda to me.” Maggie replied sarcastically, but without moving.

“They are a class of pixie known for causing mischief.” Harry continued exasperatedly. “They especially like to come out around the holiday season to disturb family gatherings. Be prepared ladies. From the moment we leave our current positions, the curse begins.”

Eyes darted between sisters. He could not be serious. 

“No offense Har, but never moving again is not really an option.” Maggie suggested. “My shift starts in 10 minutes.”

“How do we stop the curse once it is enacted?” Macy asked, almost as if she were afraid to blink.

“Usually by figuring out what the curse is.” Harry recited.

“Won’t we know?” Maggie asked. “If we sprout wings or something, we might notice.”

“What do you mean usually?” Mel asked seconds after Maggie.

“For Sprites, half of the trick is being unnoticed by the tricked until the last possible moment. Once we begin moving again, I will observe you and see if I can spot the difference.”

“Alright. Here it goes.” Mel took a big deep breath and a step forward. 

Mel waited a moment, expecting some sort of crashing sound or physical reaction of some sort, but nothing came.

“I don’t think anything happened.” she said looking herself up and down to see if there was a difference.

“Are you quite sure?” Harry asked skeptically.

“I don’t look or feel any different.” Mel confirmed. 

“Ok.” Maggie took a step forward too. Taking a moment to observe. “Yeah, nothing happened.”

Macy took a brave step forward. She attempted to be more thorough, checking her pulse, testing her powers, both fire power and currently inactive telekinesis. Nothing seemed different.

“I’m alright as well.”

Harry looked confused as he took a step forward, but clearly he didn’t feel any different either. 

“Maybe I misidentified the species…” Harry said, beginning to doubt his own conclusion.

“You can’t win em all, Har.” Maggie teased. “Well, now that we are done not being attacked, I have to get to work.”

“Same here.” Mel said heading towards the stairs. “Kat’s regulars don’t trust me to know the difference between wolfbanes and lavender.”

“I will look into pixie like creatures, see if I can figure out what this was that showed up.” Harry said, walking towards the bookshelves.

“See you later” Mel said, tripping as she started up the stairs, but continuing up.

After Maggie and Mel left, Macy sat down at the desk, scanning for witches in trouble. She was a few minutes in when she heard a loud crash coming from where Harry had gone.

“Harry?” Macy asked, walking over to him.

Harry had appeared to have tripped, knocking a few shelves of books over.

“Are you alright?” she asked, offering to help him up.

“Fine, I just lost my balance for a moment.” Harry explained taking her hand to help him off the ground. “Now, what was I doing?”

Macy looked at him curiously.

“Trying to figure out what the creature we just faced was.”

“Ah, yes.” Harry replied, reaching for a book on ogres.

Macy noticed the book he grabbed and chuckled.

“Probably weren’t attacked by ogres. Considering they are seven feet tall and tend to stay by the scottish countryside.”

Harry shook his head.

“Right, of course.” 

Macy tried to take the book from him, but dropped it the second she grabbed hold of it.

“Whoops.” Macy giggled. “Seems as if we are both off our game right now.”

“How do you mean?” Harry asked, grabbing another book.

“I just meant I can’t grab a book and you’re looking up mermaids instead of pixies.”

Harry looked even more confused.

“Why would I look up pixies?”

Realization struck Macy.

“This is it, the curse!” Macy proclaimed.

“What curse?” Harry asked, “Macy, is something wrong?”

Macy stood shocked for a moment before getting herself together. 

“You wait here, I am going to go get my sisters.”

Almost as though she summoned her, Mel screamed.

Macy and Harry ran towards the stairs to find Mel sprawled out at the bottom of them. 

“Mel!” they both yelled, each reaching to help Mel back to standing.

“Harry was right about that curse.” Mel said, sounding annoyed. “The first couple times I shook it off, but when I fell over whilst trying to make change for a customer, I knew something must be wrong with me.” 

Macy took a second to look over her sister’s appearance. One of boot heels was broken, there was a tear down one of her pant leg and her sweater looked as though she had put it on backwards though it had been just fine when she left earlier. 

“Why is the curse only affecting you?” Harry asked.

“It’s not just her.” Macy pointed out, finding her patience running low. “You can barely remember from one moment to the next. Maybe the sprite is attacking our strengths?” 

“Who knew standing was my strength?” Mel joked, before he feet gave way and she began to tumble to the ground. Luckily, Harry grabbed her before she fell completely. 

“Best hold on to me.” Harry told her, wrapping an arm around her back. “The mind might be going but the ability to stay upright seems to be holding through.”

“Bragging.” Mel commented, somewhat annoyed. “What about you, Macy?”

“I don’t know.” she answered honestly. “I dropped a book but nothing since then.”

“Melanie, why am I holding you?” Harry asked, looking down at her confusedly.

“Your guess is as good as mine, Har.” Mel replied. 

Before Macy could explain what was going on to Harry again, Maggie ran into the room frantic.

“You will not believe what just happened to me.” Maggie said, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, we probably will.” Macy retorted, not sure anything would surprise her at this point. 

“I was talking to Swan about some changes to the schedule and I told her I manipulated my way into the job.”

Macy felt as though her eyes might roll out of head.

“Why would you do that?” Mel asked, sounding angry.

“I don’t know.” Maggie said, rushedly “I’m just glad I stopped before I said anything about being a witch or having a secret chamber in our workspace. Anyway, Harry I need you to wipe her memory.”

“Who’s memory?” Harry asked. 

“Swan’s.”

“And how would I do that?” 

Macy began to panic.

“Oh my god.” Macy couldn’t figure it out. Nothing about their problems had anything in common. And Mel was right, if it were attacking strengths, why would the Sprite have attacked her sense of balance. 

“We need to focus.” Macy commanded. “Maggie, can you check the book of elders and see if there is something we can get from it.”

“Even with the bug translator thing, it is still greek to me.” Maggie told her, seeming annoyed. 

“Mel?” Macy asked. “I would, but I can’t touch the book.”

“I can barely keep myself upright right now.” Mel said, as she began to slip from Harry’s grip.

“Not to worry, I got you.” Harry assured. “Granted, I am not sure why, but you can lean on me Melanie.”

All the sisters smiled at him. 

“Oh, Harry that is so sweet. I can see what Macy sees in you.”

Macy felt herself blush deeply. She had never told her sisters her feelings for the whitelighter, but clearly they knew anyway. 

“Did you say something, Maggie?” Harry asked, “Terribly sorry, I slipped off into a daydream.”

“Slipped.” Mel replied. “Slipped!” she then shouted, falling to the ground in spite of Harry’s attempts to catch her.   
“Macy, you said you dropped a book”

Recognition dawning on Macy as she reached out to grab a pen. She dropped it within seconds of touching it. She then grabbed for a notebook, it also fell before she could get a firm grip on it. 

“I can’t hold on to anything. It is all slipping from my hands.” Macy said, beginning to feel the excitement of discovering the answer. 

“And I can’t keep secrets.” Maggie realized in that moment. “I mean, I usually can’t but at least I am better than currently.”

“And I can’t keep my balance!” Mel shouted. “The sprite made us slippery!” 

The sisters looked around for a moment, hoping that realization would break the curse. 

“Did it work?” Maggie asked. 

Macy reached for the edge of the desk, her fingers barely touching it before it slipped away. 

“Maybe that isn’t it?” Maggie concluded.

“No it must be.” Mel demanded, stepping away from Harry and proceeding to fall to the ground immediately. 

“Then why isn’t the curse breaking?” Maggie asked. 

“Melanie, are you quite alright?” Harry asked, extending his hand out to her. “You seem to have stumbled.”

Macy then realized. 

“Harry doesn’t know.” Macy concluded. “In order to break the curse we all must know.”

Maggie rushed over to Harry.

“Harry listen to me, the sprite cursed you with a slippery….mind?” Maggie tried to explain

“A sprite? I don’t see what a carbonated beverage has anything to do with Melanie’s inability to stay upright. Perhaps a bit too much coquito.”

Mel scoffed. 

“He has to figure it out without us.” Macy said. “We figured it out by ourselves before sharing.”  
“Well how do we help someone realize something when their brain is essentially putty? No offense Harry.”

“Hmmm. Sorry?’ Harry said, looking back at them as if he were distracted by other matters.

“Harry.” Maggie began, grabbing onto Harry’s shoulder. “Who am I?”

“Maggie, one of the charmed ones.”

“And who am I?” Mel asked, grabbing for his hand. 

“Melanie Vera, another charmed one and a dear friend.” 

“And me, Harry?” Macy asked.

Harry smiled for a moment.

“Macy. The third charmed one.”

“And who are you?” Maggie asked.

“Harry Greenwood, your whitelighter.”

“And what does that mean?” Mel asked him.

“I have to help you at all costs, myself included.” Harry said, as though referring to returning a book to a library rather than sacrificing his life. 

“We need your help now, Harry.” Macy explained, reaching for his hand. “We need you to understand.”

“Understand?” Harry asked. Looking at the three of them questioningly. 

“Please Harry.” Maggie said, tears started to form. “We need you to remember.”

“Remember Harry.” Mel asked, squeezing onto his hand. 

“Remember. For us.” Macy said, interlacing their fingers. “For me.”

Harry swallowed deeply. He stared downwards, forcing his brain to focus, to figure out what they wanted of him. 

“I can’t.” he concluded, a tear running down his own cheek. 

The three sisters began shedding tears in earnest. 

“It’s as though I were losing my mind.” Harry replied, letting go of their hands and walking towards the bookshelf. “Everything is slipping away.”

A white energy blast flew through the room, pushing the four back. Seconds later, Macy reached for a pen and was able to hold it without issue. Mel got to her feet and was able to walk a few steps without stumbling. 

“Quick, Maggie, what do you think of my boots?” Mel asked her younger sister.

Maggie smiled. “I don’t feel like I have to answer you.” 

“Harry?” Macy asked, staring at him, worried that perhaps the curse had gone too far.

“All clear ladies.”

The sisters smiled as they ran over to embrace. The four of them hugged, grateful they had slipped the curse.


	9. Ice Skating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter Season 1

“Absolutely not, Maggie Vera.” Harry said.

“Oh come on, Har.” Maggie begged, as she followed him around the kitchen. “It is just for a few minutes tonight. I need more male volunteers to even up the numbers. Please!?”

“No.” Harry responded resolutely. “For one, even up the numbers is a highly insensitive line of thinking.”

Maggie face dead panned. 

“You know what I mean. We don’t just want it to feel like a sorority only event. This is my first idea for Kappa that Lucy liked. Please, Harry?”

“For another, if you want to have a more inclusive event, inviting the entire campus instead of a select few you deem worthy.”

“But I have invited all of campus, no one wants to come because they think it is going to be a greek thing.” Maggie whined. 

Harry looked away. He knew how hard she was trying, but he did not want to cave on this front.  
Maggie left the room, annoyed.

“Whoa, Harry. What did you do to Maggie?”

Macy walked into the room, eyes intently focused on the full coffee pot right next to Harry.

“She wants me to participate in the Kappa ice skating event.” Harry explained. 

“And you are too dignified to skate?” Macy asked, bemusedly.

Harry glared at her.

“Not too dignified. Just not interested.” Harry went to sit at the kitchen table, reaching for his newspaper. 

Macy glared at the back of Harry’s head. She knew there had to be more to the story. 

“For you to say no to Maggie, whatever your reason is must be a big one.” 

She took a seat and the head of the table and stared at him as she sipped her hot coffee.

Harry sighed in frustration as he put his newspaper down. 

“I don’t know how to skate, alright?”

Macy’s head jerked back in surprise. 

“Really? How can that be true?’ Macy said. “I learned as a little girl.”

“It is not as if ice skating is a skill I need in my line of work.” Harry said. “And who knows, maybe saying no to Maggie this time will be good for her.”

Macy stared at him, skepticism seeping into every inch of her face. 

“We all know that this is killing you inside.” Macy told him.

Harry sighed, hating how right she was.

“Why don’t I teach you?” Macy suggested. “I mean, you won’t be doing double axels, but you should at least make it a few rounds around the rink.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, Harry. Where’s your holiday spirit?” Macy asked, as though challenging him. “Everything is so wonderful this time of year. Give it a shot.”

Harry sighed yet again. Macy was surprised he had enough oxygen to keep doing so.

“Oh, alright.”

Macy smiled as she grabbed his hand and they headed out the door.

Within 30 minutes, they were at the ice rink that the Kappa sorority had set up on campus. The event was still a couple hours away, so it was just Harry, Macy and Mel who had arrived early to set up the skating booth.

“And how did you escape ice skating?” Harry asked Mel.

“Because someone needed to provide the skates.” Mel informed him. “Speaking of which, here ya go Harry.”

She pulled up a pair of skates and handed them to him. 

“Ah. Thank you, Melanie.” Harry took the skates by the laces and moved to sit next to Macy. 

“You know, we don’t have to do this.” Harry said, beginning to take off his loafers. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time than necessary and it is beginning to snow.”

Macy looked up and saw the flakes tumbling down, her grin even wider than before. 

“It’s snowing, days before the holidays as we are about to hit an ice skating rink. We are skating.”

Harry knew it was useless to argue and began to lace on the skates. 

Moments later, he was ready to go. 

Macy stepped onto the rink first, Harry unable to stop himself from noticing how gracefully she took to the ice. 

When she reached out to take his hand to lead him over, it was only the sheer fright of falling over that kept him from quickly grabbing hold.

“I can’t.” Harry said, staring at the ice. “What if I fall?”

“I won’t let that happen” Macy said with enough authority that he had no choice but to believe her. 

“Don’t you trust me?” she asked, smiling in a way that she said she knew the answer.

“More than anything.” he responded without thinking. 

Harry berated himself internally. She was his charge and in love with another man. He has no business having these fluttery feelings about her. 

“Then come on.”

“Oh, alright.” Harry agreed. 

He took a deep breath before taking her hand and stepping onto the rink. 

As his skates met ice, Harry instantly felt unsettled. Sure within seconds he would fall over, taking Macy down with him. 

But as he tipped backwards, his arms flying back to brace for impact, Macy grabbed for him. 

Macy wasn’t sure what this feeling of elation meant, but grabbing Harry’s upper arms and pulling him close to her to prevent him from falling felt more than just like a friendly gesture. 

“Ok, now take my hands.” Macy said, sliding her hands down his arms and reaching for his hands. 

This provoked shivers in both of them. 

Macy took a deep breath.

“Let’s get started.” Macy told him. “Try marching towards me. Lift one foot off the ice at a time and move forward.”

Harry bracingly followed her instructions, his march forward appearing wooden. 

“Good.” she smiled.

“Are you sure.” Harry asked, continuing to march. “I am feeling a bit silly, to be honest.”

“Then you are in the right spirit.” She told him smiling. “Now let’s try gliding.”

As the minutes went by, Harry seemed to be getting the hang of skating quickly, not seeming to have much trouble staying upright. 

“I think I can let you go now.” Macy told him, beginning to release her grip on his hand.

“No!” Harry shouted, clenching her hands tightly. “I’m not quite ready to be alone just yet.”

Something about this sent a shiver down Macy’s spine that had nothing to do with the cold. 

“How about just one hand?” she suggested, suddenly not as eager to part either. “So we can both skate forward.”

Harry looked at her hesitant. 

“I promise to catch you if you fall.” Macy reassured him.

Harry smiled. 

“Alright, then.” Harry said, releasing his grip on Macy’s left hand. 

Macy was shocked by how cold her hand suddenly felt as she whipped around to skate forward. 

“How you doing over there?” she asked, pushing herself forward. 

“Nervous, but not falling, which is all that matters.” Harry told her. 

Macy smiled as she continued forward. 

The two of them smiled as they skate around the rink. Soon, several people were on the rink with them, laughing filling the small oval of ice. 

“Macy, if you would like to get a bit of skating done yourself, I wouldn’t mind waiting over here.” Harry gestured to the half wall nearby. 

It was Macy’s turn to hesitate.

“I don’t mind taking things slow with you.” she told him.

He blushed.

“I will be alright, honestly.” he pulled them over to the wall. “I can see how much you want to show off your skills.”

Macy smiled. 

“Is it that obvious?”

“Only to anyone who knows you.”

Harry smiled at her politely. 

“Ok, Harry. One loop and then you have to join me again.”

“I look forward to it.” he nodded to her, his grip on the wall strong.

Macy smiled as she pushed herself forward.

Harry couldn’t help but stare at her.

Macy’s smile could light up the darkest of tunnels as she gained speed, and move into a spin she made look effortless.

Incredibly. Harry thought in spite of his previous warning to himself. Only a fool could fail to find the pure joy in Macy’s eyes intoxicating. 

Macy couldn’t remember feeling more comfortable on the ice. She had skated as a kid, but never had she felt the urge to attempt figure skating like stunts, but in this moment, she felt she could fly if she truly wished. Macy pushed herself forward, her excitement mounting as she attempted to jump.

Her feet left the air and for a moment, it did feel like flying. As she spun, the world felt as though it were at a standstill around her. As she began to land, Macy felt as though her foot twitched and she lost her balance, landing very awkwardly on the ice, side first. 

“Macy!” Harry shouted from the other side of the rink 

Without thinking, Harry pushed himself away from the wall. His only focus was on getting to Macy’s as quickly as possible. 

“Macy!” he shouted again, this time mere feet away from her “Are you alright?” 

Harry offered her hands up. 

Macy accepted, getting back to her feet.

Glancing around first, Harry then hovered his hand over Macy’s hand and the side of her face. 

Macy felt uncomfortable. She hadn’t been expecting to fall of course, but the way Harry was looking at her, the pure fear in his eyes almost scared her. The hand not trying to heal her injuries held her tightly, as though he were terrified of losing her. 

“I thought you couldn’t skate.” Macy said, deciding not to ask.

“What?” he asked, stopping his attempts to heal injuries. “I can’t”

“Harry, you skated across the rink to check on me.”

Harry looked behind him, surprised by his own actions. 

“Seems I did.” 

Harry and Macy both laughed.

“Thank you.” Harry said. “I forgot to be afraid.”

“I forgot I wasn’t Michelle Kwan, so I guess we are even.”

They smiled at each other as they began skating around again.

Meanwhile, Maggie walked over to Mel, who was still distributing skates.

“Do you think Macy is alright?” Maggie asked, the worry in her voice obvious. “That spill looked nasty.”

“Harry was there to heal her. Everything looks fine.” Mel assured her, gesturing to their sister and whitelighter as they made their way across the rink hand in hand.

“But he didn’t seem super stable earlier.” Maggie worried.

“He will be fine.” Mel continued, beginning to count the remaining pairs of skates.

“How could you know that?”

“I enchanted the skates.” Mel informed her without a care

“You enchanted the skates?” Maggie whispered frantically to her sister.

“What?” Mel shrugged. “He can’t heal himself, seemed like a smart idea.”

Maggie smiled. 

“And you accuse me of having a soft spot for our whitelighter. Is he growing on you?” Maggie teased.

Mel sighed. 

“Yeah, he has.” Mel said. “Despite all my reservations.”

Mel looked out to the rink, Macy and Harry continuing to skate hand in hand. 

“Looks like I am not the only one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments. I love getting feedback! 
> 
> Also I hope my limited understanding of ice skating isn't too obvious


	10. Below Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in winter of season 1

Macy woke up shivering. Though it was winter time, her sisters had kept the house warm enough she almost forgot. But now, she could almost see her breath.

She reached for the cotton robe beside her bed and wrapped herself in it, but still felt the chill in the air. She shook her head in frustration as she put on her house slippers and prepared to go downstairs to adjust the thermostat. 

“You’re always doing stuff like this!” Maggie shouted as Macy opened the door.

Mel and Maggie were standing across from each other, pajama clad and deep in disagreement.

“I’m always doing stuff like this? Who said they were worried the heat would cause their hair to frizz?” Mel retorted.

“Like I care right now. There is practically a blizzard outside.” Maggie snapped back.

Macy stepped out of her room.

“So neither of you turned the heat down? Or off?”

Mel and Maggie looked at each other with spite before shaking their heads.

“Guessing you didn’t either?” Mel asked.

Macy shook her head in reply.

“Who cares who did it? Let’s just turn it back up or on or whatever!” Maggie declared, practically stomping down the stairs.

Macy began to follow cautiously as Mel leaned over to whisper.

“She probably turned the thermostat off in her sleep.” Mel explained as they descended the staircase. “She would sleepwalk from time to time.”

“I can hear you, Mel.” Maggie snapped. “And I haven’t done that since I was ten.”

Maggie was the first to reach the thermostat in the kitchen.

“The temperature still reads as 73.” Maggie told her sisters.

“Let me see that.” Mel said, bumping her sister out of the way. After confirming with her own eyes, Mel groaned in frustration. “Heater must be broken.”

“Can either of you fix it?” Macy asked, hoping one of them would know. 

“Mel is sort of a try everything until it breaks kind of fixer.” Maggie snarked

“Well at least I try.” Mel said, walking towards the basement door. “Macy you want to help me figure out what it wrong?”

“Ummm, sure.” Macy said, giving a quick glance at Maggie before following Mel.

Suddenly, the power cut out. The sisters were completely surrounded in darkness and the room felt like it dropped in temperature even more. 

“Is anyone else getting a supernatural vibe from this?” Mel asked looking around to see if any electronics survived the black out.

“Whatever it is, I wish it would hurry up.” Maggie replied, walking over to her sisters. 

A manical laughter seemed to emanate from the walls.

“You just had to say something, didn’t you?” Mel replied before a huge booming noise rocked the foundation of the house, causing all of the sisters to tumble. 

They all screamed as the temperature of the room began to drop even more. 

“Harry!” the sisters shouted, hoping he would know what was happening. 

Macy glanced out the back door to see icicles forming. No, not icicles, entire ice walls began to descend upon the house.

“No!” Macy yelled as she grabbed her sisters’s hands and darted towards the door. She could just make out the shape of the whitelighter orbing into the yard when the ice completely covered the door, sealing the three of them inside.

“Harry!” Maggie shouted, banging on the door as Mel ran through the house to try to open the front door. Macy stood in shock.

“It’s everywhere.” a breathless Mel confirmed. “We’re trapped and we can’t get out.”

A cell phone started ringing.

Mel and Maggie both went to reach into pockets before realizing neither of them had their phone.

“Macy, it is your phone.”

“Oh!” Macy reacted surprised. She totally forgot her plan to use her cell phone flashlight to adjust the thermostat without turning on any lights. 

She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her robe to see Harry Greenwood’s name flashing across the screen.

“Harry?!” Macy shouted as she worked to turn her phone onto speakerphone.

“Macy, thank God.” Harry said, a sigh of relief obvious even through the phone. “Are you and your sisters alright?”

“As alright as three women trapped in their frozen house can be, Har.” Maggie replied, the sarcasm in her tone biting.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you learning the art of knocking, but why didn’t you just orb into the house?” Mel asked.

“Because I couldn’t.” Harry explained. “When I heard your distress call, I tried to orb to you straight away, but it was as though I bounced off the house and landed in the back yard.”

“So you can’t get in?” Maggie started.

“And you can’t get out.” Harry continued.

“We have to do something.” Macy declared. “We dont have a gauge, but it feels below zero in here. If our body temperatures drop below 95 degrees, we can start going into hypothermia.”

“You need to check the book, see if there are any spells that can help with raising the temperature.”

The sisters nodded as Maggie ran upstairs, presumably to get the book from the attic.

“I will work on a way to get you out, either by magical or physical means.” Harry continued.

“We’ll stay together. Once Maggie is back, we will keep close for warmth.” Mel added to Harry’s strategy.

Mel then ran upstairs, Macy wasn’t sure why.

“Brillant. And Macy?” Harry started.

“Yes?” Macy replied, not bothering to question how he knew she was still there. 

“If it becomes necessary, there is an incendiary spell that would destroy the house but could get the three of you out. It is a last resort, but if it becomes necessary, Macy I need you to convince your sisters to do it.”

Macy sighed

“Thanks for giving me the tough assignment.”

“The power of three must survive.” Harry stressed. Macy could almost see the worry across his face. “The three of you must survive.”

Macy nodded solemnly.

“I will try, I promise.”

“Then we must get started.” Harry said, sounding as though he were hesitating to say something.

“Be careful, Harry.” Macy cautioned. 

“Macy, I…” Harry started, but the conversation was cut off. 

Macy looked down at her phone. Dead, even though it had been on the charger no more than a few minutes ago,

Mel and Maggie returned downstairs, Maggie wearing thicker pajamas and carrying the book of shadows, Mel carrying a large blanket and a cauldron of ingredients.

“I found this fire creating spell in the book. I thought we might try to see if we could pair it with the candlelight spell we used again the shadow demon. Maybe we could have a sustainable fire.”

“Well look at you.” Mel began to tease. “You will be building us a log cabin before you know it.”

“I thought we should huddle, for warmth.” Mel said, gesturing to the blanket.

“Why not both?” Macy asked, walking out of the kitchen and towards the living room. 

Mel and Maggie grumpily agreed, setting the cauldron on the floor, then gathering in a huddle before Mel wrapped blankets around the three of them.

“Partum ignis” Maggie shouted over the cauldron.

“Partum ignis” the sisters shouted together. 

A flame flickered to life.

“You did it, Maggie!” Macy cheered, gripping her sister for joy.

Before Mel had the chance to respond, the flame was extinguished, manical laughter surrounding them once again

The sisters sighed in frustration.

“I wish this demon would just attack already.” Maggie groaned. 

“Great so we can get murdered by an unknown demon.” Mel bit back, beginning to shiver.

“It would be better than just passive aggressively freezing to death.” Maggie argued.

“Alright.” Macy intervened, having had enough of their arguing. “What is with you two? I know we are all cold, but you two seem extra frosty.”

Mel and Maggie backed away a little to stare at Macy.

“No pun intended. I just don’t get what you are arguing about.”

“We’re sisters. We argue. It is kind of our thing.” Maggie explained. 

“But I swear it isn’t usually this much.”

Maggie smiled at her sister, tugging the blanket more firmly around herself..

“Macy, you don’t…” Maggie started

“You’re right.” Mel started at same time.

Macy moved her focus between her sisters.

“We have been arguing more. Because we are disagreeing about you.”

“Me?” Macy asked, feeling a million insecurities bubbling up at once.

Did her sisters hate her? Had they already grown tired of having her around?

Macy’s heart dropped. She thought they were getting along. The three sisters and even Harry seemed like a unit now, at least to her. 

But maybe they didn’t feel that way. Maybe they saw her as more of a side effect of being magical.

“Macy, we don’t think that at all.” Maggie replied, clearly having read Macy’s thoughts over the past few minutes. “You see, you made her paranoid that we don’t love her.”

Maggie glared at Mel. 

“Invasion of mental privacy aside, of course it isn’t that we don’t love you.” Mel explained. “The opposite really. Not knowing how to love you.”

Macy felt even more confused with that.

“You’ve been here a few months and we are still getting to know each other.” Maggie began. 

“Maggie thinks the best way to do it is to attach herself to you like a barnacle.” Mel retorted.

“Where Mel thinks you would appreciate being abandoned like you were on alcatraz.”

Mel and Maggie glared at each other. 

“And you are arguing because…?”

“We both think we are right, obviously.” Maggie replied, as though Macy should have been able to figure this out on her own.

“And as sisters we compete for things. And as stupid as it may be, your love is one of them.” Mel explained. 

Macy smiled, her eyes becoming a bit teary. 

“So now that you know, which sister has the right approach?”

Macy thought about it for a moment before wrapping her arms around both her sisters.

“Both of you do, of course. Both approaches are very you.”

The sisters giggled. 

“Mel, you give me the space I need to figure out where I belong in this family and I love you for that.” she squeezed on Mel’s shoulder. “And Maggie, you are constantly in my comfort zone. Both physically and emotionally. But comfort zones can be isolating and I am glad you are there to pull me out.”

The three sisters squeezed together for a hug.

“I love you both so much.” Macy said. “I’ve only had my dad to love before. Now I can’t imagine my life without you guys.”

“I love you, Macy.” Mel said.

“I love you, Macy.” Maggie said at the same time.

The sister squeezed even tighter together. 

“So who do you love more?” Maggie asked, causing all three sisters to giggle.

A crash of shattering ice happened just outside the backdoor. The sun was blazing into the house as a sweaty shirtless Harry entered the backdoor, chainsaw in hand, followed by a man none of the three sisters recognized.

“Ladies, are you alright?” Harry asked, reaching his hands towards them.

Mel and Macy took his hands while Maggie was helped up by the man who followed Harry in.

“A little confused by the view” Mel admitted, glaring at the state Harry was in. “But thank you for getting the door open?” 

“Um Harry, who is this guy?” Macy asked, speaking out of the side of her mouth.

“I’ll explain later.” Harry told her.

As the five of them started towards the backdoor, a frozen apparition blocked their path. When the apparition took a physical form, the icy exterior reminded them of someone.

“Professor Thaine?” Mel asked.

“Taydeus was my father. I am Tyus and I am here to drain you of life and steal your powers.”

The three sister glanced amongst each other. 

“So Har, the vanquishing spell for papa creep?” Maggie asked

“Should work just fine on the son.” Harry replied

“This is gonna be fun.” Mel said, the widest of smiles across her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did ya think? Let me know if you actually want to hear Harry's side of the story.


	11. Pine Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter season 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, this one got a lot angstier than I had intended. But also, I just wanted this conversation to happen in some form.

Harry had never been a great believer in regret. He was of the ideal that everything happens for a reason. Though agreeing to go tree hunting with Maggie was challenging this belief.

“Remind me again why Jordan or one of the other Safe Space managers couldn’t help you pick out a suitable pine tree?” Harry asked, getting out of the car.

“They are busy.” Maggie said blunting, shutting her own door. 

“All of them?” Harry questioned.

“Yes.” Maggie snapped back “Also, I wanted your opinion on the perfect tree.”

“As flattering as that may seem, I’m not exactly an expert on seasonal decor.” Harry continued, thinking back to how much Maggie and her sisters enjoy making fun of his Christmas sweaters.

“Maybe I just wanted your help scoping out the best non magical disrupting tree.”

“Why would a pine tree disrupt magic?” he questioned. 

“I don’t know. Maybe it is protected by woodland fairies or cursed as a seedling by some ancient crone.”

“Maggie, this is a tree lot.” Harry said, referencing the sign above. “Not to say neither of those things are possible, but since mortals were able to extract the trees from the woods without issue, I think it should be alright.”

“Howdy there.” A man in flannel and a long beard asked. “Welcome to Todd’s Trees. What can I interest you into today? A douglas fir? A virginia pine? Or perhaps you and your father would be interested in a spruce tree?”

Harry was taken aback.

“Her father? I beg your pardon?” 

Maggie stepped in front of him. 

“Point us to your largest trees. I need one for my office.” Maggie explained.

“Ah yes. Follow me if you will” the man gestured towards the back of the lot. 

Maggie and Harry began following him, you could practically hear Harry internally mulling over what the man had said. 

“Here we are.” the man said, gesturing to the trees around him. “These will be the largest I have. I’ll leave ya be and you can let me know once you have picked one out.”

“Thank you.” Harry responded, the false politeness in his tone glaring through to Maggie.

He waited til the man had walked a safe distance.

“Your father, really?” Harry fused, indignantly. “I do not look old enough to be your father.”

“Of course you don’t.” Maggie replied, trying her best to suppress a smile. “Maybe he was just picking up on your British-ness before he heard you speak. It can age you, you know.”

Harry had never thought of it that way. 

“I never thought of it that way.” he admitted, beginning to look at the trees.

“Besides what’s the big deal?” Maggie said, running her fingers across some pine needles. “I mean, you are about to celebrate the big triple digit birthday.”

Harry cringed. 

“I would rather not think about it if I am entirely honest.” Harry told her. “My experience feeling my literal age was a bit haunting to be honest.”

Harry would be lying if he said he didn’t miss the excuse for mid day naps.

“What does it matter anyway?” Maggie asked, taking in a deep sniff of the nearest tree.

“Because if I am to do my job properly, I need to blend in.” Harry explained. “I need to look like a friend. A confidante. Not a paternal figure.”

“I think that ship has sailed, British white guy.” Maggie teased. “Like it or not, outside a pub you are going to stick out.”

Harry shook his head before standing a bit taller and walked over to a tree. 

“How about this tree?” Harry asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Hmm.” Maggie said, circling it. “Smells nice, I like the color. It is certainly large enough.”

“Great!” Harry practically exclaimed. 

Maggie pulled a large ornament out of her purse to place on the tree.

“The branches couldn’t hold up to some of the heavier ornaments.” Maggie concluded before fully placing the ornament on the branch. “Let’s move on.”

She and Harry approached the next set of trees. 

“If I apologize, will you stop pouting?” Maggie asked, darting around behind a tree.

“I am not pouting.” Harry started, though he could feel the protrusion of his lower lip as he spoke.

“Oh please, you are moments away from cartoonish level sadness. You’re making Eeyore look cheerful.”

Harry cleared his throat.

“Apologies. I did not realize.” Harry said, hoping this would be an end to the subject. 

Maggie forced herself to stare at the trunk of the tree in front of her. 

“Maybe you’re feeling self conscious because you don’t want to seem out of place with us.”

“I do believe that is what I just said, now can we please move on?” Harry asked, the insistence in his voice.

“But you don’t want people to think you look weird with us.” Maggie did her best to hide her face. “Look weird with Macy.”

This stopped Harry in his tracks. The only reason he had told Maggie and Mel of his feelings for Macy was to assure them of her safety. Though now it seemed to be preying on their minds too.

“Maggie.” Harry began, without the slightest idea of what he planned to say in response. 

“No one blames you Harry. Macy is an absolute goddess and any guy would be lucky to fall at her feet.”

“Maggie.” Harry tried to interrupt, but she was giving him no attention.

“And I know you only told us because you wanted us to know she was safe. But now we know and if you decide to pursue a romantic relationship, we would have create some ground rules. For starters, no pet names.”

“Maggie.” Harry tried to interrupt again, but she continued.

“and definitely no nude cooking.” Maggie continued, as though she were going through a list in her head. 

“Nude cooking?” Harry shuddered at the thought.

“Also, if you hurt my big sister, a hoard of demon dogs will look friendly compared to me and remember I am the nicer one!” Maggie threatened, but still continued. “Also, should you guys break up…”

“Margarita Vera!” Harry shouted.

This finally caught Maggie’s attention.

“I will not be ‘pursuing your sister’ as you called it.” Harry quietly told her.

“You won’t?”

“I will not.” He repeated, though the words stung as he said them. “All of your concerns, well perhaps not all of them, most of them have already been considered.”

Harry stepped closer to her. 

“When I became a whitelighter, I chose to give up a lot of things for my charges.” Harry continued. “The pursuit of human emotions being one of them.”

“But Harry.”

“I would never choose my feelings over the wellbeing of my charges.” Harry then stood next to her. “As awkward as I seem to have made things, I have no intention of leaving you or your sisters.”

“You don’t?”

“Of course not. You are my family.”

Maggie closed the distance between them to give him a hug. Harry pulled her close, wanting nothing more than to reassure her of his commitment to stay with them. 

She pulled away after a few moments and wiped a tear away.

“I know you are afraid of losing the people you love.” he continued. “I promise you, I will remain by your side as long as you want me.”

Maggie grinned.

“Thanks, Har.” Maggie said, going back to looking at trees. “But if you and Macy wanted to explore your feelings for each other.”

Harry felt his stomach drop at these words. 

“Rest assured, my feelings for your sister are unrequited.” 

Maggie looked at him skeptically.

“Are you sure?” Maggie asked him. “I mean her interactions with your darklighter and…”

Maggie stopped herself. She and Mel had agreed they would talk to Macy about the picture of Harry she drew. It would be breaking the sisterly code to talk to Harry about it first.

Harry winced.

“I am quite certain.” Harry ended up saying but his mind was racing back to months ago and Macy’s flirtation with the bad boy angel from her terrible 90s tv show. Racing back to his mindscape hearing Macy admit she liked that the darklighter was different from himself. She found his darklighter intriguing, desired everything about him that Harry was not. 

“Anyway, we have a tree to find. My shift at the switchboard starts in an hour.” Harry walked away, trying to hold back his desire to run and hide. 

“But you’re staying, Harry?” Maggie yelled. 

Harry stopped and turned to look at her. 

“”Yes Maggie, I am staying.”


	12. Holiday Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Season 2

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you let this happen!” Maggie shouted at her sister.

“Let what happen? This is your favorite holiday.” Mel retorted

“Exactly.” Maggie pointed out. “And where I’ve been so being at safe space, I figured you would try to decorate the house.”

“Why would you assume that? Christmas was more Mom’s, your, and I guess Harry’s thing.” Mel explained. 

“Well, we have to fix this immediately.” Maggie ordered. “Christmas is in three days.”

“Or we could just not decorate this year.” Mel suggested.

Maggie looked at sister with the utmost malice. 

“Harry!” Maggie shouted, looking up towards the ceiling. 

Harry orbed into the Charmed ones living room within seconds.

“Maggie, is there something wrong?” Harry asked, sounding alarmed. 

“Of course there is. The house remains undecorated and the holiday clock is ticking.” Maggie replied, seriously.

Harry looked confused. 

“And what do I…?”

“You and Mel will untangle the lights!” Maggie shouted as she stomped towards one of the nearby closets.

“This is not an emergency?” Harry leaned in to ask. 

Mel shook her head and rolled her eyes. Though she knew better, she had hoped Maggie would stay busy enough over the next few days that they could avoid decorating all together. 

“Perhaps I should head back to the command center…” Harry began before a huge box of Christmas lights were dropped at his feet. 

“Here are the lights.” Maggie said, the demand in her voice to be unquestioned. “I will go to the store and get the tree and all the holiday meal preparations.”

Before either Mel or Harry could reply, Maggie had grabbed her coat and walked out the door. 

Harry and Mel sighed at the same time. 

“I guess we should get started.” Harry said, opening the box and grabbing the first set of tangled lights. 

“You know you don’t have to do it.” Mel started, as she went to sit down on the couch. “Just because Maggie orders you to.”

Harry looked away in shame and began working on the lights. 

“Are you afraid of Maggie?” Mel asked, amusedly. 

“Anyone would be foolish not to be afraid of any of you.”

This made Mel smile. The first time she felt like she had in days. 

“Besides, it all seems rather important to her.” Harry said, pulling on a particularly difficult knot. “With how much your family decorated last year, I figured it was important to the both of you.”

“It was always something Maggie and Mom loved.” Mel explained, staring into the fire. “The two of them would get incredibly excited about ornaments and caroling. I took part in it but I never really felt like a part of it, you know.”

“Sounds lonely.” Harry commented. 

“Usually yeah.” Mel agreed. 

“And unusually?” Harry asked. 

Mel looked over at him.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Harry told her, continuing to struggle with the strand of lights he was working on.

Mel chuckled. 

“Here, let me help you.” Mel moved to sit on the ground with Harry, grabbing the lights from him. “I’m kinda an expert at detangling. Though with Mom being a witch, I wonder why she didn’t spell them to stay untangled.”

“Perhaps because untangling the lights is part of holiday tradition.” Harry suggested, grabbing another ball of lights. “Or maybe she knew you liked working on them.”

“Me and...Ray.” Mel admitted, as though she were ashamed. “The few Christmases he bothered to spend with us. He always joined me on detangling duty.”

“Must have been nice even to have him in small part.” Harry suggested, pulling on his lights. 

“Maybe.” Mel conceded. “It might also have been because it was something that didn’t require a lot of planning or follow through. He would also help Maggie and I gather grass for the camels.”

Harry looked confused. 

“Camels?”

“Puertican tradition. We weren’t the most traditional family, but Ray and Maggie loved gathering the grass and putting it in the shoebox for Three Kings Day.” Mel explained

Harry laughed. 

“I can just imagine the two of you in the yard grabbing clumps of grass. Maggie loving the grass, but hating the dirt.” Harry explained. 

“One year, after Ray shoveled the snow so we could get the grass, Maggie asked if we thought the camels would appreciate snow more than grass. So she started putting snow in her box and Ray had to tell her the snow would just melt in the boxes. And Maggie started pouting in that way we all know too well. So she and Ray created these three massive piles of snow and stared out the window for hours, until Maggie fell asleep with her face pressed against the window.” 

Harry and Mel laughed at her story. 

“I’m so sorry Melanie.” Harry replied genuinely.

“Sorry for what?” Mel asked, not sure what he could be apologizing.

“His death.” Harry answered. “I know the two of you weren’t close to say the least, but it is like Maggie said, it didn’t sound all bad.”

“It wasn’t. And that was the worst part.” Mel explained. “Knowing he was capable of goodness but still couldn’t manage it.”

Harry patted Mel’s hand.

“Perhaps another way to think of it is despite his flaws, he managed to leave some good memories.”

Mel smiled. 

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Mel asked Harry.

“It is, but this puts a positive spin on it.” 

Mel smiled once again. 

“Well, thank you for the positive spin, Harry.”

“Of course, Melanie. It is what I am here for.” Harry told her, as he pulled out the next ball of lights.

Mel sat there for a minute looking at Harry. 

“Well it certainly isn’t for detangling lights.” Mel said, looking at his pathetic pile of still tangled lights. “You would think a demon personally tangled these lights.”

“You never know, it could be.” Harry 

Mel stared at him skeptically. “Are you serious? There a light tangling demons”

“Not their primary focus, but there are demons of inconvenience whom due to their lack of great power stick to making the lives of witches slightly more inconvenient.”

“So what you are saying is I’ve been fighting demons since childhood.” Mel asked, amused that the 10 year old version of herself could defeat a demon.

“I would expect nothing less from you.”

Mel couldn’t help but feel a surge of confidence. 

“Thanks, Harry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So clearly, 31 fics is probably not possible. Curse adulthood responsibilities and such. But I promise I will get out as many as I can. Still have at least a few more up my sleeve. And hopefully I can get past the angsty sad place the show left me in, lol


	13. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter of Season 1

“So there is a succubus running lose in Hilltowne?” Maggie asked, placing her books on the table in front of her.

Macy, Mel, and Harry sat at the kitchen table waiting on her, Book of Shadows in front of them. 

“Yes, but it’s primary focus seems to be on the university. Several male professors and a few of the older male grad students have found themselves under her spell.” Harry began to explain. “Luckily, this seems to be a fairly weak succubus, leaving her victims merely drained of testerone rather than dead.”

“Yep, I bet all those dudes in the hospital are just feeling super lucky right now.” Mel added sarcastically.

“What can we do to help?” Maggie asked. “I don’t want Parker accidentally wandering into this demon.”

“And Galvan is in danger too as long as it roams free.” Macy added.

“Not to worry, the succubus only seeks out the strongest of mates, so your paramores should be safe.” Harry said without looking up from the book.

Macy and Maggie stared at Harry with bewildered annoyance as Mel stifled a laugh.

Harry looked up to notice the eyes on him.

“What?” Harry asked genuinely confused. 

“What do these professors and grad students have that Parker does not?”

Harry opened his mouth to answer before Macy shook her head.

Mel burst out laughing, being unable to hold it in any longer.

“Anyway…” Macy said, grabbing the book from Harry. “There is a vanquishing spell available.” 

“Yes.” Mel said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But a couple of the ingredients are harder to come by.”

“Like?” Maggie asked, feeling more frustrated with this demon by the minute. 

“The tears of lost love.” Harry started.

“Oooh, Heidi just got dumped by her boyfriend.” Maggie said, feeling more interested.

Mel, Macy, and Harry just stared. 

“She was in my pledge class. She came to the Halloween party.” Maggie explained. 

“Also a thrice blessed mistletoe.” Harry read. 

“Mistletoe?” Maggie questioned. “Why Mistletoe?”

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Macy.

“Mistletoe was thought to have fertility inducing properties by the Druids in the 1st century.” Macy explained, a smile spreading across her face.

“Precisely. It is the whole reason people kiss under it. To increase fertility.” Harry continued.

Both Maggie and Mel had to hold back shivers.

“Luckily this succubus attacked in December rather than June.” Mel pointed out “There are sprigs of mistletoe all over the place.”

“Yes, but the blessing of said mistletoe is crucial. Too much or too little and the mistletoe will be useless.” Harry explained.

“So we need to go somewhere with a lot of foot traffic with a new sprig and stake it out until three couples kiss under it.” Macy suggested.

“Great.” Maggie said grabbing ahold of Mel next to her. “Mel and I will go to Kappa to talk to Heidi and you and Harry can go to the cafeteria and get some thrice blessed mistletoe.”

“Wait, why am I going to Kappa?” Mel asked, her annoyance obvious.

“Well you obviously need to freeze time so I can collect the tears.” Maggie snarked in response. 

“We will meet back here in an hour. That should give us plenty of time to gather the necessary ingredients.” Harry suggested as he and Macy followed Mel and Maggie out the door. 

***

Forty five minutes later, Macy and Harry sat at a table in the Hilltowne University cafeteria. Two couples had come in and blessed the mistletoe, but they were still waiting for the third. 

“How have only two couples come in this room in 45 minutes?” Macy asked, her patience running thin. 

“I don’t know, but Mel just texted that they got their ingredient.” Harry responded. 

“Do you think I could spell those two over there?” Macy asked in an undertone.

“Macy!” Harry responded, sounding shocked. 

“What? She is all over him.” Macy said, gesturing to the couple in the corner, passionately kissing. “We are just trying to get them to take it outside.”

“The kiss has to be willing or it doesn’t count.” Harry pointed out.

“I don’t think either of them are unwilling.”

Harry and Macy giggled. 

“Wait, I think there is a couple in that group coming in.”

Both of them turned their gaze to the door, a group of four people were approaching. Two couples it seemed.

“Oh no.” Macy said. 

“We only need one.” Harry said in frustration. “And we can’t magick it away once one pair has blessed it. Someone may notice.”

“We have to go.” Macy said, grabbing her bag and darting towards the door. 

She reached the door and easily snagged the mistletoe before either couple could walk through the door. 

Macy walked out the door, gently clutching the mistletoe, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“You got it?” Harry asked, as he pulled on his coat.

“Yes.” Macy said, hostility in her word. “But we are still one kiss short.”

Harry sighed as it started to snow around them, obscuring the window.

“Macy?” Harry questioned, holding out her jacket. 

“I’m alright.” Macy insisted.

“You will catch a cold.” Harry said, trying to win her over.

“Actually, cold weather causing rhinovirus is myth.” Macy explained. “Probably started by some paranoid mom or a soup making company.”

“It’s a long walk back to the car and there is no reason for it to be a cold one.” Harry reasoned.

Macy shrugged as Harry took the mistletoe from her so she could put her coat on. 

“Now, we just need to come up with a way to get a third couple to kiss underneath this mistletoe.” Harry started talking, more to himself than to Macy. “I am pretty sure none of them are my students or else I could offer them extra credit in my class. Though maybe I could convince them I have sway over one of their professors.”

Once Macy had her coat on, she looked at Harry. Since Galvan’s birthday party, she had found herself doing this more often. And now that Galvan was out of the picture for her, at least for now, she couldn’t help the way her mind wandered from time to time to a certain british fellow who could obsess over something just as much as she could. 

It took Macy a moment to realize that Harry was still talking when an idea struck her. 

“Harry, open up your hand.” Macy instructed. 

Harry did so without question. 

Macy used her telekinetic powers to make the mistletoe float above them.

“Macy, what?” Harry asked, though the question seemed to fade from him.

Macy leaned over, placing one hand on Harry’s cheek and pressed her lips against his.

She couldn’t believe how easy this was. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and it felt as though she would be unable to stop the desperate need she had to shiver. 

It was a brief kiss, but when they parted, both of them seemed breathless. Each stared at the other, as though waiting to see what would happen next, as though it were out of their control. 

The sound of the mistletoe hitting the snow covered ground is what broke the spell. 

“Quick thinking.” Harry responded, his words coming out in a jumble. 

“It’s what I do” Macy responded as she reached down to grab the mistletoe. “Let’s hurry and get this into the vanquishing potion.”


	14. Long Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter of Season 1

Harry grunted in frustration. His 60 plus years as a whitelighter and he had never found himself in this type of situation before. 

Here he was, trapped in a thick knitted green scarf with one of his charges while his other two charges remained trapped in other parts of it. He didn’t know how this came to be, but the scarf was continuing to knit itself whilst trapping anyone it comes in contact with in it.

“Margarita Emilia Vera, what were you thinking?” Mel yelled in frustration as the scarf continued to wrap itself around her legs.

“I just wanted you guys to have homemade Christmas gifts.” Maggie snapped back as the other end of the scarf continued to wrap itself around her middle.

“I certainly did not request a twenty foot long scarf this holiday season.” Harry grunted as he tried desperately to free his hands. 

“It was supposed to make three scarves but I guess I didn’t do the spell right.” Maggie groaned, as she tried to wiggle her way out.

“Ya think?” Mel snapped at her sister. 

“And this is hardly a homemade gift.” Macy added, herself struggling with being tied behind Harry. “At best, this is the witch equivalent of buying something off Etsy and claiming you made it.”

Maggie gasped in surprise. She was just as frustrated as the rest of them with the current situation but this accusation from Macy felt uncalled for. She was just trying to do something nice.

“Have you tried stopping the spell?” Harry asked her. 

“I enchanted the knitting needles. I need to get to them to stop it.” Maggie explained, darting her head towards the needles and yarn on the window seat, several feet away from all of them.

All four of them groaned, the mere few feet away seeming impossible to reach in their current state. 

“Well, it is the thought that counts, isn’t it?” Maggie asked, trying to put a positive spin on things. 

“No!” Mel, Macy, and Harry shouted at the same time. 

Maggie’s face fell. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of this whole witch thing, her spell goes beyond haywire.

“I’m sorry Maggie,” Harry started, feeling terrible about the way he snapped back at her “It’s just, beginning to lose feeling in my fingers makes me a bit less polite than I would want to be.”

Mel yelled as the scarf started dragging her back into the attic, as though it were desperate to get a full grasp on her. 

“Can’t you orb out?” Mel asked, raising her hands above her head to avoid them getting tangled in the scarf. 

“I’ve considered it and…” Harry hesitated. 

“And what?” Mel and Maggie shouted as they both struggled. 

They sat there in silence for a moment before Macy spoke. 

“He’s afraid that if he orbs out, the scarf may attempt to strangle me.” Macy explained. 

“Why don’t you just take Macy with you?” Maggie managed to get out before the scarf yanked her off her feet. 

“Physical contact is not enough to bring someone along with me.” Harry explained them, trying to move his arms. “I have to touch a person with my hands.”

Macy sighed in frustration. 

“Harry, we are all about to be strangled by an enchanted scarf. You are allowed to touch me.”

Macy couldn’t explain why, but just saying that sentence made her feel warm. 

Harry began to blush. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate and respect your permission. But it is less personal scruples and more about my hands being pinned to my sides by this infernal scarf.”

Harry tried moving his shoulder up in attempt to free his hand, but without much luck.

“Macy, use your hands!” Maggie shouted as the scarf approached her mouth. “Touch Harry now!”

“Phrasing!” Mel shouted as she reached a chair that she was able to pull herself towards.

“You know what I mean!” Maggie said, herself blushing now. “Find his hands!”

“Like I haven’t been trying.” Macy snapped, but she forced her hands even further back than she had dared before. 

She tried to ignore the tingling that was thrumming through her fingers as she desperately sought out Harry’s hands. She could feel him trying to stop himself from giggling as her hand grazed up and down the back of his leg. Steeling herself, Macy forced her hand upwards, suddenly finding her fingers running across the back of his pants. 

Harry stood up much straighter at this touch.

“Macy, that is not my hand” he said in a bit of higher octave than he usually spoke.

“Oh!” Macy shouted, her hands immediately flying away from where her hand was.

As her hand flew away from Harry, he managed to free his own hand enough to grab Macy’s and orb them away. 

Harry and Macy landed back to back, falling over in the living room.

“Are you alright?” he asked, immediately letting go of her hand as he orbed off to rescue her sisters from the enchanted needles.

Macy’s heart was racing as he orbed away, not sure the sudden rush was merely from escaping the world’s longest scarf. 

Mel landed next to her moments later and Harry orbed away again. Macy crawled over and wrapped her arms around her sister, trying to forget the excitement she felt, trying to forget the tingling in her fingers that was still happening. 

As Harry and Maggie appeared in the living room, Harry collasped into the nearest chair. 

“Needles disenchanted. Crisis averted.” Maggie declared.

Macy and Mel were not sure how to respond. Their first instinct was to yell, but it was the booming laughter that came from Harry’s chair that distracted them.

Soon as four of them were laughing and positive they would never forget about how the most powerful witches in the world and their whitelighter were almost defeated by some yarn.


	15. Sick

Mel sneezed and felt as though her entire body may implode out of exhaustion. She reached towards her nightstand for the box of tissues she always kept there only to find the box missing. 

Mel groaned in frustration. She wasn’t the only Charmed One with a cold.

“Margarita Emilia Vera!” Mel shouted, her voice giving out almost instantly. 

She heard the sound of someone walking towards her door. Mel took a deep breath, preparing to start shouting at her little sister to return her tissues. 

But there was no need to yell because her sister brought the tissues with her. And it wasn’t her little sister.

“Macy?” Mel asked. “Did you catch this cold too?” 

Mel wanted to ask her why she stole the tissues, but realized she didn’t have the strength to argue.

“No.” Macy stated bluntly. “Apparently Maggie forgot where she left hers so she snuck in here and took them.” 

“Ugh. I knew it.” Mel whined. “If I had the strength to lift up my head, she would be in a world of pain.”

“I guess it is a good thing she is bed ridden too.” Macy smiled, as she reached behind Mel to fluff her pillow.

“How did you not catch this?” Mel asked. “The snot demon as Maggie liked to call her slimed on all of us.”

Both Macy and Mel shuddered at the memory of the encounter. 

“Lucky I guess.” Macy answered without much emotion.

“You know, you don’t have to take care of Maggie and me. We can fluff our own pillows and retrieve our own tissues and…”

“Bring you some orange juice upstairs?” Macy finished, handing her sister a glass of juice.

Mel grabbed for it gratefully. 

“Did you just conjure that juice?” Mel asked, not caring as she began to let the cold and acidic liquid run its way down her ragged throat. 

“No, I brought it in with the tissues.” Macy replied, looking at her sister with a confused expression.

Mel shrugged. 

“Guess I must be more out of it than I thought.”

“I will let you get some rest then.” Macy said, turning to walk out Mel’s bedroom door.

“Wait!” Mel practically shouted. “If you aren’t busy, maybe you wanna hang out?”

Macy glanced out the door quickly before replying.

“Alright. Maggie was still asleep when I came in here, so she should be alright.” Macy walked towards the bed, not sure what to do and this point.

Mel wasn’t sure what to do either. She wanted to be closer to Macy but she wasn’t sure how to do it. Things just seemed to click for Macy and Maggie. But despite their similarities, or maybe because of them, the two never quite seemed to be in that same bonding place. 

“When I said you don’t need to take care of us, I didn’t mean it in a “get away from me” way.” Mel felt the need to explain.

“Oh, I know.” Macy reassured her. “I always hated having people around when I was sick. When I actually allowed myself to admit I was sick that is. It was always a fight for my dad to get in the door to change out the tissues.”

Mel brightened a bit.

“Same.” Mel admitted it. “As a kid I told myself it was because Maggie would use my being sick as a way to steal my clothes or read my journal.”

Macy giggled, sitting down on the edge of Mel’s bed. “I can imagine that was a great concern. I am not sure what it was for me. I guess I found being alone comforting in that moment.”

Mel looked at her sister questioningly. She was definitely not the empath of the family, but she could sense that this was not the whole truth.

“Comforting, sure.” Mel agreed, thinking she figured it out. “But maybe it was also not wanting to admit to ourselves that we were feeling vulnerable and we just wanted someone to hold us.”

“Maybe.” Macy said with a laugh. “It was always great when I would wake up after having fallen asleep to find myself being held by my dad, who had usually fallen asleep too.”

“Mom used to do that, too.” Mel said, remembering the many sick evenings of being wrapped in her mom’s embrace. “And I would tell myself I hated it, but I always seemed to feel better afterwards.”

“I remember this one time, my dad had this big ‘impossible to miss’ presentation. So naturally, I caught a cold. He must have waited outside my door for hours for me to fall asleep so he could sneak in and clean up. I just remember waking him in his arms, but he was decked out head to toe in a hazmat suit.”

Mel snorted with laughter. “You must be kidding.”

Macy shook her head. “I screamed my head off when I saw him. He had fallen asleep holding me and when I started screaming, he fell off the bed and nearly knocked himself out with my physics book.”

Macy and Mel laughed heartily. 

“And I thought Mom cleansing the room with sage every half an hour was beyond weird.” Mel admitted. 

“Oh come on, it couldn’t have been every half hour.”

“My room would smell of it for days afterwards. I once got hit on by a girl who assumed the smell was weed.”

Macy laughed. “A very misinformed girl.”

“She was cute and we were fifteen.” Mel admitted.

The laughter died down and Macy immediately cleared her throat. 

“Well, I should probably check on Maggie and start dinner. Chicken soup?” Macy asked, as she began to get up off the bed.

Mel nodded. “Thanks big sister.”

Macy smiled. “Any time, little sister. 

Macy was almost out the door before she changed her mind and turned around. 

“Actually, Maggie can wait.” 

Macy moved to sit next to Mel in bed and opened out her arms awkwardly. 

Mel smiled before embracing her sister. 

“Feel better yet?” Macy asked, looking down like her sister.

“The magic of a Vera Vaughn hug strikes again.” Mel replied, cuddling closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't think I can get all 31 fics done in the next few days. Darn adulthood, lol. But I still have a few more Ideas I would like to share before the end of the hiatus in January, including what Harry was doing during the blizzard chapter and this one. Headcanons for days, ya'll.


	16. Snow Angel

Harry couldn’t believe how nervous he felt. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t walked up to this very front door a million times before. But this time felt different. 

It had been two weeks since Maggie’s would be wedding and he had not Macy since the disastrous events of that day. At first, he just assumed was being paranoid, that it was mere coincidence that they hadn’t seen each other. But as the days went on, the ache that existed in his heart when Macy wasn’t around was ever present. He had wanted to ask Maggie and Mel why Macy was avoiding him, but he also didn’t want to make things more awkward for them than he already had.

Wretched feelings, Harry couldn’t help thinking to himself as he made a fist with his right hand to knock on the door. Before he could get up the nerve another thought struck him. 

“It’s late.” Harry ended up saying aloud to no one. “If she is even awake, she probably won’t hear the knocking on the door. And there is no point trying the doorbell. Not after Melanie so thoroughly destroyed it”

He decided to go around the back. For some reason entering nearby the kitchen felt like the more suitable thing for him to do. 

He made it around the house within moments, and approached the back door. As his arm stretched out to knock he felt himself being thrown across the yard and into a patch of snow. 

Harry banged his head on the tree and groaned in agony. 

“Who’s there?” Harry heard someone above him shout. 

“Macy?” Harry asked groggily.

“I have a firearm!” Macy shouted, sounding angrier than Harry had ever heard her directed towards him.

“Macy, please don’t, it’s me. Harry.” Harry crouched into a ball, not knowing why he didn’t just try to orb away.

He heard Macy shut her bedroom window and he relaxed. Perhaps she had believed him.

But when Macy appeared at the back door, her hand aflame and prepared to launch, Harry felt as though his heart might have stopped.

“Hut 8, Macy! Hut 8!” Harry shouted, hating his darklighter doppelganger for inciting this kind of fear into her. 

Macy extinguished the flame and placed her hand at her side. Though her facial expression did not soften.

“Harry, what are you doing here? It is 2 in the morning. You could have been anyone!”

“I am sorry. I just hoped we could have a word.” Harry said, attempting to stand up, but finding himself unable to. As though there were a wall forcing him to stay seated. 

“It’s not the right time.” Macy rushed out, clutching her robe even more closed than it already was over her flannel pajamas. “We can talk later.”

“When did you install the demonic security system, by the way?”

“Security system?” Macy questioned. 

“I assumed that is what is preventing me from entering the house. Or standing up at this very moment. Quite impressive. Your handiwork, I’m guessing.”

Macy wondered. She had been experimenting with protection spells of late, but she hadn’t cast anything on the house and certainly nothing that should keep Harry, their whitelighter, repelled from the building. 

Unless it wasn’t Harry. 

She began to walk forward, to question this so called Harry further when she looked in his eyes. 

The gentle look on his face, the pain of being confused combined with the awe and reverence he always gave her. She didn’t need to question him to know it was Harry. 

But that didn’t make her any more willing to talk to him. 

“I am quite glad you have taken precautions.” Harry reassured her, not knowing the mental gymnastics she just went through to figure out his identity. “Maybe you would be willing to come out here so we can talk.”

Macy shook her head. 

“It is late and cold.” Macy said, matter of factly. “We can talk later. Goodnight, Harry.”

Macy walked away from the back door, not bothering to try to close it, knowing she probably wouldn’t be lucky enough to escape with so few words. 

“Macy wait!” Harry yelled, attempting to stand up, only to be thrown down to the ground more vehemently, this time the slam causing deep ripples of pain down his back. 

Macy hated herself for caring. But care she did. 

“Are you alright?’ she asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper. 

“Yes.” Harry responded, whispering back. He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was concerned. And perhaps she was still listening. 

“I was a fool, Macy. A stupid fool.” Harry laid down in the snow, allowing his head to rest upon it and his arms to stretch outward. 

“I allowed my own ego, my own…feelings to cause a rift to form between us.” Harry admitted. “I allowed my inner turmoil to affect me and how I protect you. How I protect all of you.”

Macy clutched more tightly to her robe, staying out of his sightline. 

“You didn’t deserve that.” Harry continued. “You didn’t deserve slights at your character. Judgements from me for seeing my darklighter as more than just an obstacle. One of your finest qualities is your ability to see a situation and judge it with your mind and your heart. And I am so sorry that I belittled it.”

Macy could feel the tears welling in her eyes. 

“I know I have made mistakes. And if you had any other option, I might be willing to do the noble thing and bow out of your lives, but even if all of the whitelighters were still around, I don’t know that I would have the heart to stay away.”

She could hardly hold the tears back at this point. She took a deep breath, hoping this act would help them subside. He might not know exactly what had upset her, but he wanted to make things right, to be her friend. The least she could do was hear him out. 

Macy loosened her grip on her robe, her hand throbbing from how tightly she had been holding it together as she walked towards the door. 

“Harry?” Macy questioned. 

“Macy.” Harry said, smiling as he got himself into the standing position. 

Macy looked down at the area he had just stood from and had to suppress a booming laugh. 

“What?” Harry asked, seeming embarrassed. 

“You made a snow angel.” Macy said, pointing towards the shape on the ground. 

“A what?” Harry asked, looking around him as though he expected a person to pop out of the shadows. 

“A snow angel.” Macy repeated. “Are you sure you weren’t born a 100 year old man?”

Harry looked at her bemusedly. 

“What is a snow angel?” he enunciated the sentence very carefully, as though hoping that he could glean the meaning from the words. 

Macy walked outside, not finding herself repelled by any shield that had repelled Harry. 

She moved to stand next to him and pointed to the shape behind him. 

“Ah.” Harry replied dryly. “Is this an American thing?”

“No, at least I don’t think so.” Macy replied, wishing she had brought her phone with her so she could look into it. 

“I am not sure how that shape was created to be honest.” Harry admitted.

Macy smiled as she dropped down to the snowy ground below. Sweeping her arms and legs in and out, creating the iconic shape that children would associate with angels. Something about the movements, the snow getting in her hair, the way the cold seemed to feel like an accelerant in her throat, it made her feel childlike for a moment.

Once she had finished, she stood and showed Harry her angel. 

“Remarkable.” Harry responded, as he moved to the other side of her to make another snow angel on his own.

Within minutes, both Macy and Harry were laughing as snow went flying and they tried to make their angels in different poses. There was a lightness between them that hadn’t existed in a long time. Macy couldn’t help but let herself feel hopeful for a moment. Hopeful that someday things could be alright between them. Maybe even better than alright.


	17. Gingerbread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter of Season 2

“You mean to tell me that Hansel and Gretel were real? The whole freaking fairy tale with the breadcrumbs and the negative witch stereotypes?” Mel questioned. 

The Charmed ones and their whitelighter were staring adamantly at the command center map. It had been hours since the last attack, but none of them felt like they could leave.

“Yes and no.” Harry began to explain, keeping his eyes locked on the map. “Hansel and Gretel were mere amalgamations of actual children who were kidnapped by an evil witch.”

“Wait, witches can be evil?” Maggie asked, seeming confused by the very idea of it.

“Abigael, anyone?” Macy muttered loudly.

“Powers are at the mercy of the wielder.” Harry continued, ignoring Macy’s comment. “The witch was believed to have kidnapped dozens of children before meeting its end by unknown circumstances.”

“So is this witch that is kidnapping magical children the same witch or a copycat?” Mel asked. “Also, I am guessing this means the solution won’t be as simple as throwing her in an oven.”

“Ew, did she actually eat the children?” Maggie asked, more insistently

Harry winced. 

“So far as I know, remains for the children were never found, so we cannot rule out cannibalism as part of it.” Harry informed her. 

“Copycat or original, this witch is kidnapping magical children. It cannot be just for sustenance.” Macy began to theorize. “Unless, it is more than just the physical form!”

Harry looked away from the screen for the first time in awhile and jumped up. 

“Of course. The witch is kidnapping magical children to steal their powers.”

“But why the powers of children?” Mel asked. 

“Kids have untapped potential.” Maggie responded. “Most of them probably don’t know they are magical and the ones that do probably can’t control it.”

“Brilliant.” Harry remarked. 

“So how do we find this witch?” Macy asked. 

The four exchanged quick glances between them

“Harry, can you orb us to her cottage?” Maggie asked. “Assuming she is still hanging out the woods centuries later.”

Harry sighed.

“I can only orb to places of which I know of the place or of a person there.”

“So how do we find her?” Mel repeated, becoming more annoyed. 

“We create the house.” Maggie concluded.

Macy, Mel, and Harry all looked at Maggie, confused by this suggestion.

“Come on, we have all heard the story of Hansel and Gretel. The witch lures them in with a gingerbread house.” Maggie continued.

Macy smiled, beginning to understand.

“Creating a gingerbread house could give Harry something to focus on.” Macy added. 

“And in doing that, also perhaps counting on whatever luring spells the witch has cast, it should make it easier to find.” Mel concluded.

“But it is days after Christmas.” Harry started. “I don’t think we have the time or the ingredients…”

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Maggie was running out of the room. Before Harry could question it, she returned carrying a gingerbread house kit.

“I thought it was something fun we could do together.” Maggie explained, her naturally cheer bubbling to the surface. “But everything got so hectic so quick and I kinda forgot about it.”

Macy looked at her sister impressed. 

About an hour later, the four of them had managed to sculpt a very beautiful gingerbread house.

“Not bad, for something we made out of a box.” Mel said, admiring their work.

“I wish I had known, I have been wanting to make gingerbread for you guys for ages.” Macy told them.

“And I have the most delightful icing recipe we could add.” Harry considered.

“Maybe next Christmas. Now we got to save some kids.” Maggie said, becoming focused on the mission. 

“Ladies?” Harry questioned, extending his hands out to Mel and Maggie, the two sisters standing closest to him. 

Once they had grabbed Harry’s hands and Macy grabbed theirs, Harry closed his eyes and took in the deep, intoxicating scent of the gingerbread. He opened his eyes, allowing the candy cane trees and gum drop accents to cement in his brain as real parts of an actual house. 

As he focused, Harry began to feel that surge in his stomach. The one that told him he was getting ready to orb away. He felt himself invert as he always did during the orbing process, this time accompanied by his charges. 

They landed mere seconds later in a secluded part of the woods, the strong scent of ginger and sugar clinging to the air. 

Harry released his hold on the sisters hands as he mentally congratulated himself. 

“Harry, you did it!” Mel cheered, as she began to inhale deeply.

“Don’t smell too much.” Macy said, looking as though she were trying to limit her breaths. “The witch might be luring children, but we could fall under the spell too.”

“Quite right.” Harry agreed, beginning to walk away from the patch of woods they landed in.

“I can smell the house, but can anyone see it?” Maggie asked, pushing a branch out of her way to look around.

“No, but we might not be close enough to…” Mel started to answer and then he head darted in the opposite direction. “Did you hear that sound? That humming sound?”

Macy and Maggie both replied with a small no as Harry walked over to join Mel.

“I hear it too, Melanie.” Harry said, concern visible on his face.

“Har, Mel…” Maggie began, her concern growing by the second. “What is going on?” 

“I think it has to be us.” Mel said, looking at Harry as though he were the only person around.

“Ok…” Macy said, seeing where this was going. “The two of you can play the Hansel and Gretel roles and we will follow.” 

Maggie nodded understanding quickly.

“I think you are right.” Harry replied to Mel, as though Macy hadn’t spoken at all. 

“Oh no.” Maggie replied, quickly seeing what was about to happen and Harry and Mel locked hands.

“No!” Macy shouted, as Harry and Mel orbed away. “Dammit!” she shouted at the sky.

“Harry!” Maggie shouted, knowing full well it would not work. 

“Are we even in the right place?” Macy shouted, berating herself for not figuring out the musical call sooner.

“We’re in the right place.” Maggie reassured her. “Look.”

Macy’s eyes followed Maggie’s extended finger to a trail of peppermints.

“I thought it was supposed to be breadcrumbs?” Maggie asked, grabbing Macy’s hand.

“It was actually pebbles first in the original story, then the breadcrumbs.” Macy explained bending over to collect one of the peppermints, feeling like they were familiar.

“Those are Harry’s!” Maggie shouted as she looked in Macy’s other hand.

“Harry is Hansel.” Macy concluded. “And Mel is Gretel. Not a direct translation but close enough for her, I suppose.”

“We need to hurry!” Maggie shouted, worry for Harry and Mel greatening at this revelation, pulling Macy along the peppermint trail. 

Meanwhile, Harry and Mel landed seconds after they left to a small clearing where the gingerbread house stood, solitary and picturesque.

“So the witch is gonna think we are under her thrawl.” Mel started “Let her think that as we figure out how to defeat her.”

“Aren’t we under her thrawl?” Harry questioned. “We were the only ones that could hear the music.”

“Probably some sexist, male/female, brother/sister thing.” Mel reasoned. 

Harry momentarily smiled at the idea of being Mel’s brother.

“Look, if you are scared, I can go in there solo. You can go get my sisters and bring them here.”

“Not a chance.” Harry replied without thinking. “It’s you and me for a reason. Best we see it through.”

And keep them safe, he added to himself. 

Mel nodded as she looked down at their still interlocked hands. They hadn’t let go since orbing, but she had no desire to let go. It was as if they house wanted them to hold hands. To be a unit.

They both swallowed deeply as they approached the house. The moment they stepped out of the trees, all nervousness disappeared. All concerns about anything to disappear. All that remained was the need to hold hands and the desire to start eating the delectable house in front of them.

Before they could reach the front door, a young beautiful woman stepped out. Neither of them could figure it out, but her beautiful dark eyes, glowing mahogany skin, long and flowing hair reminded them of someone. 

“A bit older than I was expecting, but what a nice pair of twins you make.” the woman said, her voice melodic to the ears.

“Was that you singing?” Harry asked, a smile widening across his face. 

The woman laughed, her head falling back as her laugh consumed her. 

“It was indeed.” she said, walking over to them, grabbing them by their empty. “Only the most beautiful song for the most enchanted of guests.”

Mel felt her heart soar as the witch pulled them forward into the house.

Despite the grandeur of the outside of the cottage, Harry and Mel found themselves in a small single room with a table and an oven.

“Dear boy,” the woman said to Harry, lifting up a finger to stroke his cheek. “Why don’t you take a bit of the table while us ladies have a chat.” 

Harry nodded excitedly as he let go of Mel’s hand and began to move towards the table. The second his hand let go of hers, the two of them felt like themselves. Just for a moment. Long enough for them both to be afraid. 

“Anything the matter, love?” the woman asked, cupping Mel’s cheek.

Mel, completely forgetting her fear of moments ago, nodded and walked towards the oven. 

“I’ve waited for this moment for a long time.” the woman explained, turning the knob on the oven. “Trapped in my house of mortal decadence for centuries, until a young boy came along with power and the knowledge of where to get more. Once I have consumed you, my powers will be fully restored and I won’t need to feed.”

Mel could sense that this should frighten her, but she couldn’t make herself react to it.

The woman smiled as she cupped Mel’s face, leaning towards her, her eyes alight with pure joy and hunger. 

The front door burst open as Macy and Maggie pushed their way in.

Macy and Maggie saw the woman for who she really was, a decripide, bony crone. A mere whisp of a woman who was preparing to eat their loved ones.

“Back off my sister, you cliche.” Maggie retorted, as she reached into the fanny pack Mel created for a potion that she could throw at her.

Macy was preparing to throw a fireball at her, but as she looked down at her curled hand, she saw no flame.

“Powers don’t work in here, I’m afraid.” the witch informed them. “Don’t you know how rude it is to interrupt someone while they are cooking.”

The witch moved one hand off Mel’s face and pushed Macy and Maggie away with her powers.

Macy and Maggie soared across the room, crashing to just behind Harry, part of the gingerbread house collapsing on them.

That was all it took, both Mel and Harry felt themselves grow weak. Their attention was no longer on the witch, but on their fallen companions. It was a small gesture, but they no longer felt like they were under her control.

“Oh, God. No!” Harry shouted as he ran over to where Maggie and Macy were thrown and began carelessly throwing debris.

“What?” the witch questioned. “It can’t be. Nothing can break my spells!”

Mel smirked at her. “Pretty arrogant for a lady who has been trapped in her own house for two hundred years.”

It didn’t take much for Mel to overpower her. Mel was able to successfully pin the witch to the floor and open the oven before successfully shoving her in there.

The witch screamed in agony as Mel quickly stopped watching to go check on her sisters.

“Harry, are they...?” Mel asked, though she was afraid to finish the question.

“Help me get them out of here.” Harry yelled as he was pulling on a coughing Macy.

Mel reacted quickly, grabbing Maggie from the pile of gingerbread as Maggie held her own ribs.

Harry scooped up Macy in his arms and began to run out of the cottage.

Mel and Maggie ran out the door as well, noticing as she did the gingerbread house starting to collapse around them.

The four of them made it safely outside the house before it crumbled, the witch still burning in the oven inside.

“Is it…? Is she…?” Mel stammered as she tried to ask if they had defeated the witch, but Harry was feet away, laying a coughing Macy on the ground as gently as a person would a glass object.

“Macy, are you alright?” he asked. Harry had already healed her to the best of his ability, but his heart filled with worry. 

She stopped coughing, but didn’t open her eyes.

“Macy, please say something. Tell me how you are feeling. I need to know.” Harry hated how desperate his voice sounded. His words practically coming out in sobs as he berated himself for falling for the witches spell in the first place.

“Disappointed.” Macy admitted, her voice hoarse and croaky. “I thought I was gonna show up to you and Mel in some spectacular lederhosen.”

If Harry had reacted without thinking, he would have kissed her in that moment of hilarity. Instead he laughed and wrapped her in his arms.

“I don’t understand.” Maggie started, still clutching her ribs. “The house and the music, sure. But seeing that crone should have snapped you right out of that spell.”

“She enchanted us to see her as beautiful.” Mel explained, feeling as though she needed to. “I mean, we probably would have put on lederhosen if she asked. At least I would have.”

“Gotta love magic, huh?” Macy said breaking apart from Harry.

“Not as much as other things, clearly.” Harry replied, looking at Macy. “It was a powerful enchantment only love could break.”

“Aww true love broke the spell.” Maggie explained, she and Mel walking towards Harry so they could orb away. “A fairytale ending for this Grimm fairytale.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this might be the last chapter of Fluffcember but we will see what tomorrow will hold. Thank you so much everyone who has read and supported me as this series of one shots came together. I hope to see you all around.


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